The Shield
by scarlet tribe
Summary: Nen is a strong girl who has worked all her life to make her family proud. This bright, sunny girl is faced with challenge after challenge and meets them head on. What happens when an unstoppable force meets and unmovable object, especially when that unmovable object is Bakugo?
1. Dawning

Nen lay on the ground, tears falling down her face and rolling onto the hardwood floor with a plop. The envelope in her hands crumpled in her fist as sobs racked through her.

Her father looked on from his quiet spot in the hall, watching through the slightly opened door. He had wanted to bring her some cake but was giving her time to absorb the news. The message continued to replay.

All of her hard work over the years, all of the blood, sweat, tears, bruises, broken bones, long nights of studying, hard days of fighting, all of it had gotten her right where she wanted to be.

Nen was crying from releif and joy after being accepted into U.A. Highschool.

"Alrigh, alright," he father chuckled as he opened the door wider and flipped on the lights. he set the cake on her desk and crouched down next to her. He rolled her onto her back and she covered her face with her arm, embarassed. "Come on, stop crying." He told her teasingly. "You gonna cry on your first day too? maybe you should go stand over the flowers and water them for once." Nen laughed at her father before sitting up.

"I made it. I did it! I did it all on my own!" She sniffed and wiped her eyes. lauging. "All that hard work...thank you for believing in me, papa." Nen continued to wipe her eyes when her dad's strong arms pulled her in for a hug, startling her.

Nens father, while he loved his daughter deeply, was never one for affection, preferring to work with his cold, hard machines. Slowly she wrapped her arms around him and breathed in. She could smell a little b.o. and grease, no doubt she would have some smeared on her face again. To her surprise, he began to shake a bit. Nen pulled away and looked at him. Tears were starting to escape and he grunted and rubbed his eyes.

"Damnit, Nen." He told her softly. "I just...I'm proud of you. You've grown so much." He put a heavy hand on her shoulder and she looked at his crystal ue eyes hidden under the grey of his thick eyebrows. "You remind me of her more and more."

Her mother.

"Do you think she would have been proud?" Nen asked. Her father gave her a small smile and ruffled her brown hair.

"More than words can describe." he assured her before standing up and grabbing the cake. "I wasnt sure you'd get in after what you told me, so I stocked up on cake." Nen lit up and took the plate. "Get some rest. Tomorrow we start practicing again!"

"Shouldn't I just wait until school starts up?" Nen asked around a mouthful of chocolate cake. Her father looked at her sternly.

"This school is no joke, Nen." He warned her. "It will test you in ways you cannot prepare for. So it is best to be prepared for what you can anticipate." She swallowed hard, her stomach sinking. Nen had let herself believe getting in was the hardest part. Was she really ready? "Enjoy your cake. I'll see you in the morning. Congrats on getting in."

* * *

Nen sat on her bed, cross legged. in her hands was a small picture frame. Three beaming faces peered up at her.

Her father was much younger looking, with hardly any grey showing. His eyes were as blue as ever and for once she couldnt see a smidge of grease or oil on him. His arm was around a beautiful woman. Her blond hair was in a relaxed braid that fell over her shoulder. Nen admired the hair and began to fiddle with her own braid. Nen had always envied her mothers hair, wanting to trade it for her dark brown. She had her father's hair and smile, but the warm eyes shining from her mother matched her own. A small splattering of freckles were tossed across her nose, something neither of her parents had.

In her mother's arms, a small girl in a sunny yellow dress had a smile brighter than the sun.

They were a happy family, a family everyone dreamed of, but all good things must come to an end. Nen kissed the picture and set it on her nightstand.

"Good night, Mom." She whispered into the dark room. "I promise I will make you proud!"


	2. Day 1

The door was large and loomed over her. Nen couldn't help but stare up in wonder. her hands wrung the handle on her bag nervously. This was her new homeroom. What was waiting for her on the other side? Who would she meet? What new quirks would she learn about? Would she make friends? Or worse...

Nen swallowed hard and with a shaking hand she slid the door open. Her stomach turned to stone when many of the people stopped talking and stared at her, but to her releif, most quickly went back to their conversations.

She exhaled a sigh of relief and meandered through the classroom, heading towards a seat near the back. She preferred the seats in the back row, but they were already preoccupied. She picked a seat and set her bag next to it. Before sitting, Nen tucked her skirt under her and frowned at the length. Her legs were more muscular than most of her peers so the skirt seemed a tad shorter, especially when she sat.

As she began unpacking and putting her schools supplies in her desk, a cold shiver creeped up her spine. Nen shivered and noticed small hands grabbing on her desk. Slowly a head came into view. Nen was take aback by the young face that expressed such a lecherous look.

"Hehe...I almost envy any villain you'd crush with your thighs." He told her and an embarassed blush crept across her nose. "You've gotta spar with me one day." He all but begged as he reached out to her, intentions unknown. Nen smacked him off her desk like a bug and he bounced away, only adding to her confusion. She wasn't expecting him to bounce.

Nen all but jumped when someone tapped her shoulder. She started and whipped around only to be met by a girl with her dark hair in a ponytail looking equally startled.

"My apologies, I didn't mean to startle you." She said with a small smile. "I wanted to see if you were alright. I heard what he had said."

"Oh. Thank you." Nen smiled at her. "He was very rude but I don't think he will bother me again." The other girl giggled a bit.

"My name is Yaoyorozu." She introduced. "If it makes you feel any better, he had been saying things like that to almost all of the girls here."

"My name is Nen." She replied. "Honestly he looks too young to be hear."

"He definately does not behave like it, either." She joked. Nen giggled in agreement but both of their attention was pulled to the two boys infront of them.

"Take your feet off that desk now!" The boy with dark blue hair ordered the blond boy. Nen peered over and saw he had one leg draped over the desk. "It's the first day and you're already disrespecting this academy by scuffing the school property, you cretin!"

"Looks like he's not the only one with some behavior issues." Nen joked back to Yaoyorozu as she pointed discretely at the blind kid. She heard her new friend trying to laugh quietly.

"You're kidding me, right? Did your old school put a stick up your ass or were you born with it?" The blond boy quipped back loudly. Nen watched as the taller boy collected himself and tried to start over but the angry blond was having nothing to do with it.

_He doesn't seem very pleasant._ She noted to herself as the blond one kept giving the other boy, Tenya Iida, a really difficult time. As the conversation lulled, she noticed the two of them staring towards the door.

"It's him." Iida announced ominously and Nen followed their gaze, as had everyone else in the room. Every student turned their attention to the green haired boy standing in the doorway. Nen found herself grateful she had not received a similar welcome. She continued to sit and watch as the boy introduced himself as Izuku Midoriya. Soon the two were joined by an adorable girl. The three stood there, chatting, until their teacher finally arrived.

He was less impressive that Nen had expected but to be honest, she almost felt relieved. Heroes are just ordinary people, too...right?

"Hello, I'm Shota Aizawa...your teacher." Nen let out a quiet sigh. He sounded exhausted and she worried if she'd be able to stay awake in his classes. The last time she had such a low energy teacher, she managed to sleep through most of the class. "Right, let's get to it." He announ and began digging around in his bag. Nen perked up at this. Were they starting already? What about orientation? "Put these on and head outside."

With his orders, the group grabbed their uniforms and headed to changing areas.

"What do you think he'll have us do?" Nen asked Yaoyorozu as she began undoing her shirt, revealing a black tank top.

"Well, it's only our first day so I can't imagine we are starting to train yet." She answered as she began to undress as well.

"It's probably something so he can see where we are skill wise." Another girl with short dark hair suggested. "I'm Jiro, nice to meet you." She introduced and stuck out her hand.

"My name is Nen." She offered and shook the girl's hand firmly.

"Woah, nice grip." Jiro commented with a teasing smile.

"Sorry, did I hurt you?" Nen asked.

"No not at all." Jiro explained. "Just not used to other girls having such strong handshakes."

"We should probably hurry." An invisible girl suggested as she zipped up her uniform. "They might leave without us."

"She's right." Yaoyorozu added. "I'm sure we will have time to get to know each other later." She added a friendly smile and Nen smiled back as she laced up her heavy boots.

"Then let's go!"

* * *

"What? A quirk assessment test?" They all asked, startled.

"But orientation! We're gonna miss it!" The cute brunette pointed out.

"If you really wanna make the big leagues, you can't waste time on pointless ceremonies." Everyone shifted nervously. "Here at UA, we're not tethered to traditions. That means that I get to run my class as I see fit." He explained sternly. Nen shifted her weight almost awkwardly. Typically teachers coddled students but he wasn't a typical teacher. She couldn't quite tell what to expect from him yet.

"You've been taking standardized tests all your lives. But you never got to use your quirks." Aizawa held up his phone showing the list of tests they would be doing. "The country is still trying to pretend everyone is made equal. It's not rational." He paused here and faced the angry blond kid from before.

"Bakugo, you managed to get the most points on the entrance exam." Nen"s eyebrows rose in mild surprise. The highest? Yes her class was bound to have some impressive students, and UA was the best school for heroes, but she didnt expect to be in a class with the best of the best. "What was your farthest distance throw with a softball?"

"Sixty seven meters I think." Bakugo responded.

"Right." Aizawa acknowledged. " Now try doing it with your quirk." Bakugo nodded and stepped forward, face stern and serious. Nen looked him over. He seemed relaxed except for the serious look. "Anything goes, just stay in the circle. Go on, you're wasting our time." Aizawa urged. Nen looked back to Bakugo who turned away from them. She could still see his profile and his face never changed.

_He's not bad looking._ Nen noted to herself as he wound up for the pitch. _He's actually fairly cute._

**"Die!" **Bakugo growled loudly as he used his quirk to launch the ball. The explosion brought waves of heat over them and Nen was taken a bit aback. _Maybe not that cute._

* * *

Each student went through the tests and Nen was as excited and determined as the rest of them. She hadn't worked her ass off just to be sent home. What would her father think?

On the grip test she ranked in the middle. Thanks to her experience she had a bit more of a firmer grip than most kids her age, but she was far from excelling. It was just enough to keep her from the bottom and that was all she cared about.

_My quirk is only going to help me in some of these test. _Nen thought to herself. _I should use my quirk to excel in the ones I cam and just rely on my physical strength for the rest. _She looked next to her and saw the green haired boy looking down at his grip test rather despondent. She almost spoke up but Aizawa interrupted to usher them to the next test.

The standing long jump was another test she could rely on her physical strength for but this time she decided to use her quirk, her will, to launch her further. Nen took a moment and focused on her goal. She set her intention and willed her legs stronger. Surrounded by the familiar yellow glow of her quirk, she leapt into the air and cleared the jump, leaving behind a small dent in the ground where here feet landed. Nen smiled to herself, she was doing alright. She looked over her shoulder and watches as Midoriya landed on his ass in the loose dirt. She watched him almost sadly. _At least I'm not at the bottom._

The repeated side steps were something she left to her physical capabilities and decided against using her quirk. After the crater she left at the standing jump, she didnt want to ruin the ground and make it more difficult for her classmates.

The ball throw was interesting. The cute brunette she keeps seeing managed to get the highest score for that. Nen's jaw dropped when the app showed infinity. _How is that even possible?_

She didnt have much time to speculate as Midoriya stepped up next. She had noticed him struggling his way through the tests with his faced scrunched in concentration or frustration. This time it was no different. Midoriya stared intently at the ball before winding up. As he pulled back his arm to throw it, Nen could see his quirk spreading through his arm, wrapping around it. This is it, this is his quirk. He was the only one she had yet to see use their quirk. Nen held her breath, excited to see what would happen, and he threw the ball.

Everyone was silent as the ball landed softly on the ground.

"What just happened?" Jiro asked her quietly but she could only shake her head and shrug in confusion. She looked over to her sleepy teacher only to find his silver scarf floating around his head with his hair standing straight up. He moved ominously toward Midoriya, wrapping him in his scarf and pulling him closer.

"What's he saying?" Another boy in their class asked, curious to know why the teacher stepped in.

"Eraserhead?" Another boy asked "Who's that?"

"Oh, I've heard of him." Tsuyu answered and began explaining how he tend to stay out of the press. Then as suddenly as it started, his hair and scarf fell around his shoulders and Midoriya looked more glum than before.

"I wonder if our teacher gave him advice." Iida pondered.

"He was probably telling him to pack his bags." Bakugo told him. Nen watched Midoriya as he muttered to himself.

"He seems to do that alot." Nen commented to Yaoyorozu. "What do you think hes talking about?"

" Honestly, I have no idea. He's a little odd. I wonder why henhasnt used his quirk yet." Yaoyorozu pondered aloud.

"He tried, but Aizawa stopped him." Nen pointed out, recognizing a quirk similar to hers.

"Look! Here he goes!" Her friend point out. Nen watched but didnt see the quirk in his arm again. I fact, she almost missed it completely but caught a glimpse of it right as he released the ball. The force was almost as strong as Bakugo's but without the heat or the flames. Everyone looked on in awe as the ball flew as far as Bakugo's. Nen looked back to Midoriya and saw him holding up a fist. His expression was a smile but it almost looked pained. Did he hurt himself?

The group began to gather to move to the next test and Nen walked over to him.

"Let me see your hand." She told him quietly.

"What?" He asked her nervously, trying to fight back tears.

"I knew it, let me see your finger." She told him and tore a bit of her undershirt.

"W-what are you doing?" He asked her nervously as she gently grabbed his wrist.

"Hey, is your finger ok?" Ururaka asked and Nen began wrapping it in the fabric she ripped off.

"It looks broken but maybe this can help you from moving it too much." Nen offered with a smile. "I've had a lot of broken fingers so I know how bad it can hurt." She offered him a supportive smile. He blinked at her surprised.

"Wow. Thanks."

* * *


	3. Sparks Fly

"What a day!" Ururaka announced as she stretched her arms over her head. "For a moment I Thought for sure I'd be a gonner!"

"After how far your toss was?" Nen chuckled at her. "Not a chance."

"What about you Nen?" She asked with a bright smile. "Were you scared?"

"Ah that's kinda hard to say." Nen told her awkwardly as they walked out of the building and into the sun light. "The more I beleive in myself, the stronger my quirk is, so I can't always let myself be scared."

"Wow, that sounds difficult!" Ururaka told her eyes wide before her attention was pulled to the boys from their class. "Oh hey! There's the two from class!" She shouted and grabbed Nen's hand, dragging her along as she took off in a sprint.

"Hey!" She shouted, grabbing their attention. "Wait up you two!" She waived at them as she and Nen jogged over to them. "Are you going to the station? We'll join you!"

"Oh, you're the infinity girl, and the yellow girl." Iida greeted Ururaka and Nen accordingly.

"Yellow?" Midoriya asked him, not sure what he was referencing.

"When she used her quirk, she would have a faint yellow glow around her." Iida explained and Nen giggled.

"It's also my favorite color." She pointed out and turned around to show off her yellow back pack.

"I'm Ururaka." Her companion explained after catching her breath. "This is Nen. Let's see, you're Tenya Iida and you're Deku, right? Midoriya?"

"Deku?!" He asked, startled.

"Well, yeah." Nen spoke up. "Isn't that what Bakugo called you?" Midoriya clammed up and began filling them in. He explained the name was actually used to insult him growing up. Bakugo really wasn't a nice person.

To Nen's amusement, the moment her friend told Deku his name was cute, he turned lobster red and agreed that was what he would be called, startling Iida.

Nen giggled as the three tried to adjust to the sudden shift.

"We should probably get going, guys." Nen urged them down the street.

* * *

"I AM HERE! COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A HERO!"

Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to All Might as he came in and marched up to the podium. Everyone was staring at him in awe and wonder. He was actually a teacher this year, it wasn't just a rumor and everyone was sitting on the edge of their seat and whispering amongst each other.

"Welcome to the most important class at UA High!" He announced, hands on his hips. "Think of it as Heroing 101. Here, you will learn the basics of being a pro and what ot means to fight in the name of good!" He flexed his muscles, showing off and Nen had to fight away a smile at his hype. "Let's get into it! Today's lessons will pull no punches!"

"Fight training!" Bakugo all but growled from his seat.

"Real combat?" Deku muttered nervously.

"But one of the keys of being a hero is...looking good!" He shouted and pointed to the wall where a storage area opened up, showing containers with numbers on them. "These were designed for you based on your quirk registration forms and requests you sent in before school started." Nen leaned forward excited to finally see what she would look like in her hero costume. "Get yourselves suited up and then treat me in training ground beta!"

"Yes sir!"

Nen laced up her heavy combat boots and tightened her thick gloves one more time before following the rest of them. The boys and the girls began walking through the hall and she got a chance to look over everyone's suits. Some were elaborate but others were plain. Nen smiled to herslef knowing her suit was more plain than others.

She could feel her high ponytail swishing behind her and grazing her bare shoulders. Her torso was covered by a sturdy black material and it was cut in a halter design on the front and back, leading up to a turtleneck. The material was durable but breathable and she was happy to be wearing the familiar fabric again. Her pants were black cargo pants made of the same material and held up by a sturdy belt. She could hear her heavy boots beating the ground below her as she marched with her class to her first real lesson. The sounds of her boots were almost drowned out by the sound of her heartbeat roaring in her ears. She couldnt help but be nervous for the fight ahead. Which one of her classmates would she be faced with? Surely they wouldn't be fighting All Might himself?

"Sir!" She heard Iida speak up, snapping her out of her head. She hadn't even realized All Might had been talking. "This is the arena from our entrance exam. Will we be facing the same opponents?"

"Not quite!" All Might explained with a peace sign. "I'm going to move you two steps ahead. Most of the villain fights you see on the news are outside, however statistically speaking, run ins with the most dastardly villains take place indoors. Truly intelligent criminals stay hidden in the shadows." He explained. "For this training exercise, you'll be split into teams of good guys and bad guys and fight two on two indoor battles! Since there is an uneven number, we may have someone go twice."

"Isn't this a little advanced?" Tsuyu asked, quirking her head to the side.

"The best training is what you get on the battlefield." All Might countered. "But remember you cant just punch a robot this time. You're dealing with actual people now."

_Someone could get hurt._"Sir, will you be the one deciding who wins?" Yaoyorozu asked but before she could get an answer, Bakugo piped up.

"How much can we hurt the other team?" He asked.

"Why are you so violent?" Nen asked him without thinking.

"WHAT IT'S A SERIOUS QUESTION?" He shouted back at her as many others began firing off their questions.

"Listen up!" All Might announced, grabbing their attention again. "The villains have hidden a nuclear missile somewhere in their hideout."

"I hope it's not real." Nen muttered to herself.

"Of course it's not real!" Bakugo quietly bit at her. "And you thought my question was stupid."

"I never said your question was stupid." She hissed at him _What was his problem?_"No sweat, let's draw!" Their teacher announced, grabbing both of their attention once more.

Before long, the teams were divided and All Might ushered those viewing the first match to the surveillance room. There, Nen watch the full extent of Bakugo's rage. She new he was aggressive, but the rage he exuded made her shake. She wasn't intimated easily, but Bakugo could have killed Deku and he didn't seem to care. Nen was definitely cheering for Deku and was so proud of him for standing his ground so well. _Maybe he'd be a good person to practice with! _She found herself thinking, and Ururaka? Her quirk was incredible! Iida tried so hard to get into the spirit, but he just reminded Nen of a cartoon villain. She couldn't help but laugh a little to herself.

The fight wasn't long, but it was impressive. All Might gathered everyone back and she found herself next to Bakugo. He looked almost panicked. Nen turned to him, wanting to ask if he was ok, but All Might spoke up, asking why Iida was the star of the first round. Nen listened as Momo rattled off all she knew. Nen was constantly being astounded by her class mates.

Matches continued on and Nen watched as everyone showed off their quirks. As dazzling as the displays were, she couldn't help but notice Bakugo's ...was it fear? rage? His feelings. She noticed his feelings of something, she wasn't quite sure. Eventually, it was Nen's turn and as she turned to leave with her partner, Bakugo looked miserable. She paused and looked at him. She wanted to ask, but instead she shook her head and left the room. She didn't have time to worry about others, especially if he was just going to yell at her.

* * *

"Wow, class was really kinda exhausting today." Momo said with a small smile. "After using my quirk so much, I could eat a horse."

"I love a girl with an apatite." Mineta spoke up, reaching towards them. Nen grabbed her new friend and gently pulled her away from the little purple creep.

"Get lost, grapes." She shooed him off. He looked so dejected after being called grapes that he quickly left them to go pester some other poor girl.

"I honestly don't know how he got into our class." Momo said dejectedly. "Anyway, I'm going to grab lunch. Did you want to sit with us today or with Ururaka. It looks like they only have a seat let at their table."

"I don't know." Nen said. "I honestly don't even know what I'm going to eat, haha!"

"I'm going to go sit with Jiro. You're welcome to join us, but I think Ururaka could really use some cheering up." She gestured a bit. "I think she's shook up over Midoriya." Nen looked at the usually bubbly girl. She was talking to Iida and looked nervous. Her usual smile was replaced with pressed lips and her brows were furrowed worriedly.

"I guess you're right." Nen said to Momo with a smile and began to step away. "I'll see you back in -Ah!" Nen yelped loudly, causing everyone around her to look at her in surprise. As she had turned to walk away, she had walked into someone who spilled their hot food all over her shirt. "Ow, ow, ow!"

"Sorry, sorry." A boy apologized. "Are you ok?" He asked and Nen looked at him before blushing. The boy in front of her had soft grey hair that fell around his face in waves. His eyes were a piercing blue and his voice was so gentle. His face was flushed in embarrassment as he began trying to wipe her shirt off with with any napkins he had on him, continuing to apologize profusely. "I am so sorry. I didn't see you there." Nen almost didn't notice the burning on her skin.

"It's ok, it's ok..." She assured him and tried to brush his hands away. "Just please stop touching me." Nen mumbled, unheard.

"Are you alright?" Momo asked as she used her quirk to make a few paper towels.

"I'm alright." Nen told her as she stepped away from the boy and accepted the towels from Momo. "I'm going to go wash off." She turned to the cute boy and gave a slight apologetic bow. "Sorry for bumping into you. Nice to meet you." She said and turned on her heels and ran to the bathroom, hoping no one caught her blush.

Watchful eyes had seen the entire interaction. They had seen what had happened before and after the accident.

Nen ended up spending her entire lunch break trying to clean up her shirt. Much to her dismay, whatever the boy was going to eat had stained her shirt. _I should have asked Momo for a new shirt. _She kicked herself.

Nen did what she could to save her shirt and blazer before resigning herself to the stain. She left the bathroom and returned to class.

She sat through class with a rumbling stomach and tried to focus as best as she could.

"Here," Momo said to her quietly as she passed Nen a snack. "I could hear your stomach rumbling. I keep these in my desk in case I use my quirk too much."

"Thank you so much!" Nen told her and quickly ate it. While the snack wasn't much, it kept her stomach quiet and allowed her to concentrate for the rest of the afternoon. The consideration from her new friend touched her and she made a note to bring something for Momo the next day as thanks.

The rest if her classes passed fairly quickly. As she was packing up to leave, Midoriya returned to class, slightly less rough looking than earlier. She smiled and moved to approach him but the rest if the class had the same idea. Nen was able to get his number the day prior and decided she would text him well wishes later.

Midoriya soon left to chase after Bakugo and Nen waited for Momo and Jiro, wanting to walk out with them.

"Wow, I can't believe you have your whole place to yourself for the week." Jiro commented after she told them her father was away on business.

"It's nothing special anymore." Nen laughed. "Ever since my mom died, I've had to stay home alone a lot. My dad has to travel a lot for work, especially since we moved here."

"Wait, where are you from?" Momo asked her, curiously. "I don't hear any accent but I've noticed some of your phrasing is a little odd."

"oh! forgive me for that." Nen apologized. "My father is Japanese, but my mother was Sweedish. We lived there up until now. I used to visit Japan often enough it was like a second home. The rest of my family is in Sweden now though."

"Wow, that's pretty cool!" Jiro commented. The three girls had finished grabbing their belongings and headed out the front. They were idly chatting about their families and where they grew up.

As the trio walked down the front steps, Jiro nudged Nen with an elbow.

"Hey, isn't that the guy who dropped his food all over you?" She asked, pointing to the boy who stood off to the side, watching them as they walked down the steps. Once be laid eyes on Nen he stood up straight and looked as though he was trying to find something to say.

"Yeah." Nen replied thinking, she stepped away from the two. "Hey, I'll be tight back." She said as she jogged over to the boy. She could hear her new friends whispering and giggling already.

"Hi, sorry about earlier." Nen told him. "I didn't catch your name."

"Uh, Hideo." He answered, a little thrown at her forwardness. "I actually wanted to apologize to you. I wasn't paying attention." He began to dig something out of his bag. "I didn't see you come back so I figured I'd take you to dinner to make up for it." He said as he pulled out his wallet. This wasn't what Nen was expecting at all. A boy, a cute boy, was asking her to dinner.

* * *

"Wow, you sure do eat a lot for a girl." Hideo joked as he placed his card down on the receipt. Nen stopped mid bite. Her sweet icecream turned sour in her mouth. She had been so over come with hunger, she hadn't stopped to consider his budget. She swallowed.

"Would you like me to cover my food?" She offered, not really worried about money. He laughed sweetly.

"No, no that's not what I meant." He explained. "It's just refreshing is all. I'm used to dating girls who are too worried about how they look. It's nice to meet a girl who doesn't really care about how skinny she is." Nen thought over this and processed what she was hearing. She really hadn't thought about her figure. She grew up mostly around boys and men, so she liked being fit. To do this she had to eat a lot and work hard. But when her mother was alive, she was taught how to enjoy some girly things too. Nen liked how she looked. She wasn't overly girly, but she didn't look quite like a girl.

"Thanks. I think." Nen said, not really sure how to respond to such an odd compliment. Nen didn't finish her icecream and they soon left. He offered to walk her home and the conversation was polite, mostly asking about classes. Hideo was in her year but was in class 1-B. His quirk was flashy but he didnt quite make it into 1-A. He explained how he is an electricity user. He can use energy in the environment around him to generate electricity anywhere around him within I five foot radius. The only problem was he wasn't good at focusing it at one specific target. While similar to Kaminari, Nen noticed earlier that Kaminari's electricity was generated from his body. It was a slight difference that set the two vastly apart.

Hideo didn't ask about Nen's quirk.

"I saw your quirk in action during the entrance exam. You're lucky to have such a useful quirk." He told her. "I'm almost jealous. But yours seems more defensive."

"Oh, I don't really like being too agressive, so I don't like to fight." Nen admitted as they walked up the steps to her apartment. Hideo was startled

"What?" He explained as he followed her up the steps. "What kind if hero doesn't fight?"

"Plenty of heroes, actually." She explained cheerily, excited to be able to talk about her favorite type of heroes: rescue heroes. Nen stood at the front of her door, talking excitedly and he stood there listening for a few moments before he leaned in a kissed her.

Nen froze as he kissed her for a few seconds. She stopped talking and her mind went blank with shock. Once she collected herself she stepped back and out her hands over her mouth, embarrassed. She could feel a blush creeping along her face.

_He kissed me. That was my first kiss!_

Her heart was racing in her chest. She liked it, a lot and was just startled by him. To her releif, he was blushing too.

"Ah, sorry." He apologized. "You were just so cute, I couldn't help myself."

"No, no, it's fine. I uh..." Her brain as so foggy and it felt as though her body was flushed. "Do you uh...do you want to come in for a bit"

* * *

"Eh???" Jiro asked after Nen told her and Momo about the date. "What happened?" She asked excitedly.

"Shh!" Nen tried to stop lauging and quiet her friend.

"What's going on?" Mina asked.

"Nen's already got herself a boyfriend." Momo explained slyly.

"Oooh is he cute?" Mina asked, now fully invested. Nen relayed the story again with Mina adding in little verbal acknowledgements. "So did you do it?" She asked eagerly. Nen lit up like a lobster and shook her head furiously. "No. no, nothing like that, I swear!"

"Oh, you're getting all worked up though." Jiro teased.

"I promise, all we did was kiss and watch a movie." Nen assured them. The three girls shared a look. They believed her but it was so fun to tease her and honestly, Nen loved it. It reminded her of her cousins picking on her. It made her feel like home.

Hope y'all like this. thank you so much for the reviews! they mean so much to me! lemme know what you think!


	4. Teams

"He's coming over again tonight to watch a movie." Nen told her friends over lunch. Word had spread to the rest if her class of the sudden romance.

"Are you sure that's all?" Jiro asked slyly and Nen waved her hands and sputtered, completely flustered.

"You've got the wrong idea, he just offered to help me with English is all!" Nen spilled out in a rush.

"I'm almost jealous." Mina whined and put her head in her hands with a smile. "He's pretty cute. And they way you two met is right out of a romance drama." Nen laughed.

"Speaking of studying " Tsuyu spoke up, "We should probably make sure we keep up with our studies. Did you guys want to come over for a study group tomorrow?"

"That sounds like a lot of fun!" Toru agreed. "You can count me in!"

"I don't really have much going on this Saturday, so why not." Jiro added. There was a round of agreement and they planned their study group.

Over the first week, Nen had managed to form a close bond with the girls in her glass. She found it was a lot easier in highschool to make friends.

She had also been spending a lot of time with Hideo. He had been over every night and Nen couldnt get enough of him. He made her heart race and she felt like she could fly when he kissed her.

When it came to the boys in her class, she got a long with many of them but there was one she seemed to particularly clash with.

Bakugo.

They had been paired up for an exercise that they failed spectacularly. Much to her releif, so had everyone else in the class. It was a test of teamwork and many struggled. Because so many people failed it, they decided to let the same teams try again.

* * *

The objective was simple: retrieve the flag and take it back to the starting point.

The obstacles made it difficult. A teacher with an earth based quirk was asked to assist.

Nen and Bakugo Sqatted behind a large piece of debris, effectively shielding themselves from the flying debris. Their retake wasn't going as well as hoped.

"Why are you being so stubborn?" She shouted at him. "The whole point is to work together."

"I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!" Bakugo shouted at her angrily. "JUST YOU WATCH! I'LL GET THAT FLAG ON MY OWN!" He announced as he stood and went to leap over their hiding spot, intending to charge striaght in. "YOU JUST SIT HERE!"

"Oh, no you don't!" Nen shouted as she reached out, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. His eyes went wide in shock as he was pulled back and slammed into the ground.

"What the hell!" He shouted but she grabbed him by the front, pulling him close. Nen, who was typically a sweet, passive person, was inches from his face with a scowl that could rival his own.

"Cool it, you hot head!" She shouted in his faced. Bakugo was so startled, he didnt have time to argue back. "They clearly said this was a test of teamwork. If you just charge in alone we'll fail again."

"LISTEN, I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP-" Ne cut him off.

"And I don't need yours!" Nen shouted. "But if we don't do this together, we WILL fail. Stop acting like a child and work with me!" He growled at her for a minute.

"How the hell are we supposed to work together? Our quirks are completely different. Working with you will just slow me down!" He countered.

"That isn't the point!" She shouted and shook him. He pushed her off. "We have to find a way to to this TOGETHER. So sit down, shut up and help me think of something."

Bakugo sat there for a minute. She was right. if they just went in separately they'd be failed again for missing the objective. If he really thought about it, he doubted they would fail even if they didn't succeed, as long as they worked together. But how was someone who's quirk is best suited for defense supposed to work with him? His quirk was versatile and he had agility to easily give him the upper hand. Her sheild would be better suited for someone slow.

It clicked for him and he grinned to himself. Bakugo turned away from her and crouched, bracing his hands on the pavement.

"Get on." He growled at her.

"What the hell are you doing?" Nen asked.

"Just shut up and climb on. Can your sheiled cover both of us?" He asked. Nen climbed onto his back, her legs bracing on his sides, similar to riding a horse.

"Yeah. What do you have in mind?" She asked, hesitantly. Bakugo smiled darkly to himself.

"Hang on!" He shouted as he launched them both into the air. Nen shouted in surprise and almost didnt see the large rock flying their way. She willed a bright sheild to form on her arm and used to to bat it away at the last minute.

"HEY IF YOU WANNA WORK TOGETHER YOU GOTTA HOLD UP YOUR END!" He shouted at her.

"YOU COULD HAVE GIVEN ME A WARNING!" She screamed at him, not thrilled at flying through the air. She much preferred being on stable ground.

"JUST SHUT UP AND KEEP THE DEBRIS AWAY, GOT IT?" He shouted and pushed them faster. Nen spied another piece of ruble flying their way. She willed her sheild back in place and braced herself. This chuck was too big. She kicked her heel into his side.

"Accelerate!" She shouted and he did, slamming them both into the debris. The force broke it and it crumbled around them.

"Don't kick me!" He shouted.

"Stop complaining. It worked." Nen argued.

"Whatever!" Bakugo shouted back. "Just hang on and keep the debris away! I'll take care of the rest!"

* * *

"After that, it was a pretty quick affair!" Nen said cheerily.

"Wow, no offense but I totally thought you two would fail." Jiro commented. "Honestly, I never thought I'd see Bakugo work with anyone ever."

"Honestly, I felt the same way." Nen admitted as they grabbed their bags. It was the end of the day and she was eager to head home for a nap.

"I'm exhausted from all that." Momo mentioned as they headed out the front doors. "Honestly, I hope I don't sleep through the study session tomorrow. I'm actually looking forward to meeting up with everyone out of school."

"It's gonna be a lot of fun." Nen agreed as she hopped cheerily down the front steps. Jiro and Mom laughed.

"How do you have so much energy?" Jiro asked her, teasingly.

"I'm exhausted, to be honest." Nen admitted. "But I'm in high spirits! Can't let fatigue wear me down!" She gave them a thumbs up.

"That, and I'm sure your excited for your date tonight." Jiro teased, making Momo giggle in a agreement. Nen froze, startled. She turned slowly to her two friends with a blank look.

"I completely forgot." She whispered, making her friends just look at her, deadpanned. _How could she just forget?_ "With how active this afternoon was, I've been so focused on getting home to nap I just forgot."

"I'm sure he would understand if you rescheduled." Momo assured her but Nen didn't look convinced, infact, she seemed uncomfortable. "Is something-"

"Nen!" Someone called. The three of them looked to the source of the voice. Hideo waved up from the bottom of the steps.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow." Nen said her goodbyes and walked the rest of the way down the steps. The spring in her step was gone and she looked tense. The two just stood there, startled from the sudden change in demeanor.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Ururaka asked as she approached the two, followed closely by Iida and Midoriya.

"Is it just me, or does Nen look exhausted?" Jiro asked as she pointed to the girl who was currently talking to her boyfriend. The group watched. Her shoulders were tense and pulled in, like she was uncomfortable.

"She looks miserable." Ururaka agreed. "Are they fighting or something?"

"As far as we know, no." Momo answered and crossed her arms. They watched as Hideo put his arm around her and lead her away. "She hasn't had anything to us other than how sweet he is."

"Well, should we say something?" Midoriya asked. "Couples have their ups and downs right?"

"Yeah, but a week in?" Jiro asked. "And she's not exactly what I would call the meek type."

"Oh yeah," Ururaka chimed in, "she said something about her quirk being dependent on how confident she is! The more confident, the strong she is!"

"Well yeah, but if this guys is making her feel bad about herself, won't that damage her ability to use her quirk?" Midoriya asked.

"I don't think we have anything to worry about." Iida chimed in in a relaxed tone. "If we learned anything from our exercise this afternoon, is that Nen, while usually gentle, is more than capable of handling herself or any unruly characters that come her way."

"You mean how she whipped Bakugo into working with her?" Jiro joked.

"Yeah, I'm sure she can handle just about anything!" Ururaka cheered, jumping with her fist in the air. "Besides, maybe we're all overreacting. All we see is what's on the outside. There's no way for us to know what's actually going on between them!"

* * *

"Hope you're ok with takeout!" Nen told him as she pulled out a menu for them to look over. He smiled as she sat next to him on the couch, perusing the options. "You have a craving for anything?" She asked.

"Just you." He told her before leaning in and kissing her, startling her again. she kissed him back briefly before gently pushing him off. He would do that so often, just kiss her or touch her out of nowhere. It would always startle her.

"You are so cheesey." She teased him. "But seriously, I need to eat something." She said going back to the menu. "I had an active afternoon and could really use some carbs."

"You sure about that?" Hideo asked sounding annoyed. Nen looked at hom confused.

"Yes, you are supposed to have carbs and protein during really active days." Nen explained to him.

"I mean it really wouldn't hurt you to miss a meal or at least eat something light." He told her.

"Miss a meal? You want me to skip dinner?" Nen really wasn't understanding, at least she hoped it was a misunderstanding to what he was implying.

"I don't mean skip dinner all together, but you're a pretty solid girl. Maybe something like a salad so you can try to keep what's left of your feminine figure. Don't wanna look like a man do you?" Hideo asked but put his hands up in surrender. "Look, I'm just trying to look out for you, but hey if you want something greasy and fattening, I'm all for it." Nen just looked at him. There he goes commenting on how she looked. She was starting to get tired of it and it was making her uncomfortable, not just with him but herself. She'd began to notice just how slim some of her classmates were or just how girly they looked, even when they were in hero gear. It made her feel like she stood out among them. She'd even considered going to the support class for a different hero outfit.

"Why don't we order from here?" Nen suggested as she dialed the number for the restaurant. Hideo told her what he wanted and she put in her order. "It should be here soon."

"What do you want to watch until it gets here?" Hideo asked. They settled on a tv show that Nen had seen before she leaned against him and he wrapped his arm around her. She sighed and relaxed against him. He smelled nice and the sound of his heartbeat was soothing. She began to nodd off a bit. "Sorry about earlier." He told her, waking her. "I guess it's kinda rude for me to comment on how much you eat. It's not my business and if you are happy with how you look then that's fine with me."

"Is there a reason I shouldn't like how I look?" Nen asked him and for a moment he seemed really uncomfortable. Hideo never got a chance to answer because before he could dig himself deeper into a hole, Nen's phone rang. She sat up and looked at the caller idea and Nen's face lit up like a kid at Christmas. "I'll be right back!"

Nen jogged down the hall and closed herself into her bedroom.

"Hi, papa!" She greeted cheerily. "I have so much to tell you!"

* * *

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review and let me know what you think!!!


	5. Face Down

"What do you mean she can't make it?" Jiro asked, her eyebrows rising under her bangs. Momo had arrived earlier than most to share the sudden news with Jiro, their host. "Is she ok, did something happen?" She asked as her friend stepped into her home and removed her shoes.

"Honestly, it was really weird." Momo said, unsure of what happened herself. She dug out her phone and showed her friend the messages. "She was super excited to join us, but then I got this weird text in the middle of the night. Take a look." Jiro took the phone and read the text.

_Something has come up. As much as I want to join you all, I cannot. I apologize and please apologize to the rest of them. I am very sorry for being such a flake. See you all in class Monday._

"Something came up?" Jiro asked. "Do you think everything is ok?"

"That's the weird part. I called her this morning on my way over." Momo explained. "She's going on a date today with Hideo." Jiro's typically calm demeanor changed to one of shock, struggling to beleive Nen would ditch them for a date.

"See, isn't this better than having your nose in the books all day?" Hideo asked as he leaned back and put an arm around Nen.

"Yes, but...We have a test Monday that I've been worried about." She told him. "I was hoping to get their help." He takes and bumped her with his arm.

"Look, don't worry about it." He told her and smiled encouragingly. "Someone with natural talent like you? You'll do fine!" Nen looked down to the smoothie in her hands. She didn't have so much faith. She began wondering why she even agreed to go.

_"So, I was thinking we could go to the harbor tomorrow, walk around and enjoy the view." Hideo suggested._

_"As lovely as that sounds, I agreed to meet up with my classmates for a study session." Nen explained as she snuggled further into him, but he seemed to stiffen beneath her.__"So you'd rather hang out with classmates than your boyfriend?" He asked curtly as he pulled away from her and crossed his arms._

_"No, that's not it." She assured him, her stomach dropping, knowing another argument was on the way. "I just really need to study for this class."_

_"You know, I'm in the hero course too." He pointed out. "You never asked me for help. Honestly, it just sounds like an excuse not to spend time with me."__"_

_"Hideo, I promise. It's not like that." Nen spoke as she reached for him, trying to pull him closer but he stood up, irritated._

_"No? But you would rather go hang out with them than go on our date." He argued._

"_But this was planned before you suggested it."_" Nen argued, starting to grow frustrated. "I can't just cancel last minute."

"_What are you talking about?" Hideo asked. "We agreed we'd do something on Saturday. We talked about it Monday."_

"_What? No we didn't." Nen told him and tried to remember what he was talking about. "At least, I don't remember."_

"_Oh shocker." Hideo threw up his hands sarcasticly. "The ditz forgot about me, I don't know what else I expected."_ He threw up his hands in mock defeat.

_"I'm not a ditz" Nen argued. "There was just a lot going on. I could have forgotten. I'm sorry." Nen conceded, not wanting to argue anymore._

_"No, you did forget." Hideo insisted. "And you're going to keep to your word and go to the harbor with me."_

"_But Hideo, I really need to study." Nen argues back, growing tired. He screwed up his face and she immediately regretted arguing._ Nen knew what was coming next. "I should have kept my mouth shut." She thought to herself.

_"I thought I was important to you." He scowled at her and started walking to the door. "Look, if you're desperate enough to make up excuses to get out of spending time together, then maybe this isn't working."_

"_Hideo, don't go." Nen followed him, starting to tear up out of frustration. Why did he always do this? She grabbed his arm to stop him, wanting to just make up and move past it. He jerked away from her and continued to gather his things. "I'm sorry. I just forgot is all. I don't mean anything by it. I'm sure they'll understand. Please, just dont go. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."__There was a tense moment of silence as Hideo looked her up and down, his scowl slowly disappearing. He rubbed the back of his head._

_"I guess I can't be too mad at you." He said. "I should have expected it, knowing how ditzy you can be. I'll meet you here tomorrow." He pulled her close and as much as she wanted to melt in his arms, she was stiff as a board. "We can start fresh tomorrow." He kissed her and Nen let him slip his tongue into her mouth. She cringed internally when she felt his hands move lower towards her ass, but she didnt stop him, not wanting to antagonize him further. He finally released her after a moment and smiled at her. "That's more like it. I'll see you tomorrow. Make sure you wear a dress. Try and look like a girl, ok?" He teased as he stepped out the door_, _leaving her alone in her swirling anxiety._

Nen rested with her head on her arms, having a bit of a pity party for herself.

"Hey, you doing ok?" Mina asked her, poking her side. "You've hardly touched your food." She took another look at Nen's tray. "And all you got was rice? Are you sick?" Nen just sat up and passed her rice to Mina.

"I'm just not hungry." She explained.

"Is it because of the test today?" Momo asked as she and Jiro sat down with them.

"Mostly, yeah." Nen admitted.

"I wish you had joined us Saturday." Momo told her sympathetically.

"Yeah, why'd you ditch to go on a date, anyway?" Jiro asked, genuinely curious. "It doesn't seem like something you'd do." She pointed out as she dug in.

"Well, I had something already planned and it seemed rude to just cancel last minute." Nen explained nervously. "We'd been planning since Monday's lunch."

"Nen," Momo stopped her. Nen found she had been playing with the hem of her skirt. "Hideo wasn't at school Monday. Remember, he was out that day?" Something in Nen's head snapped. It was like the fog had cleared.

"What?" She asked, unsure. "I don't...no, that can't be right." She crooked a finger under her lip and thought. Would he really lie to her like that?

A group of boys lauging caught their attention and Nen's head snapped over to the source. Hideo and a few of his friends we leaving the cafeteria.

"Excuse me." Nen mumbled before practically jumping up and running after them, knocking into a few classmates on the way.

"Is everything ok?" Midoriya asked the group of girls, having been nocked into by Nen.

"I think Nen's having some boy troubles." Mina told him and gave him the quick run down. Midoriya stared, shocked.

"What?" He exclaimed. "But that's so mean and underhanded! Poor Nen, she must feel so bad!"

"I'm starting to like Hideo less and less." Jiro commented.

"Right?" Mina asked in agreement. "Who cares if he's cute. I can't stand liars."

"Hideo!" Nen called out down the hall. The group of boys paused. "Hideo, wait. I want to talk to you." She jogged to catch up. He said something over his shoulder she just couldn't hear but it brought snickers from his companions. "Hideo, why did you lie to me?" She asked, point blank, throwing him off.

"W-what-" He stammered nervously, not expecting confrontation.

"You told me we talked about over lunch on Monday." Nen told him, her face scrunched in anger. "You weren't here Monday." She could see him backpedal and he struggled to find and answer. "Why did you lie?"

"look, I didn't lie, Nen." He told her, crossing his arms. "It must have been Tuesday, then. Sorry, I mixed up the days." Hideo told her sarcasticly. "Why are you so insistent on this? What, did you fail the dum little quiz?" Nen's face gave her away. She looked away, slightly ashamed. Hideo pointed and laughed at her. "Is that really it?" He laughed and slapped his knee. "You're just looking to blame me because you're too dumb to pass English."

"I'm not dumb!" She stomped her foot in frustration. "I told you I needed to study!"

"Nen, sweetie," Hideo spoke condescendingly as he whiped a tear from his eye. "I passed that no problem and I barely paid attention in class. I don't think studying would have helped you anyway." Nen stood there, mouth open. She was flabbergasted. _He passed without even trying? _Hideo turned and began walking away with his friends, leaving her feeling worse than ever. Before getting to far away, he turned over his shoulder. "Maybe I should have been in class 1-A instead of you. Honestly, how did you get in?" His friends laughed and high fived each other like the jerks they were and Nen couldnt help but stand there alone in the hallway. Weeks worth of insecurities echoed through her as though she were hallow.

Nen felt dazed and dizzy, she was so confused. She felt guilty for not studying but also blamed Hideo. He was constantly pushing her boundaries and she ended up doing things she didn't want to just to appease him. But the more she blamed him, the more self loathing she felt. She couldn't shift the blame fully to him, right? She should have stood her ground. Her attention was snapped back to the present when Ojiro's tail smacked her barrier, pushing her back. Nen stumbled and tripped over her own two feet, falling backwards.

"Hey you ok?" Ojiro asked as he walked over to her and offered her a helping hand up. "You've been really out of it."

"Sorry," Nen apologized as she accepted his hand and stood up. She brought back her quirk and willed it into a sheild on her forearm once more. It's her weapon of choice for fighting. "I'll do better."

"Alright." Ojiro said with a small smile before going back into attacking. For the most part, Nen focused on defense. Her quirk allowed her to use her will. With concentration, she could will it into any shape. Nen preferred using a sheild on her arm. It was a flexible tool, good for both defense and offense, and as long as she had her will, her confidence, her sheild would not break.

_I'll do better. _

She told herself. _I have to do better. I'm wasting his time. I need to put everything I have into this._

Ojiro charged for an attack. They could hear the other groups sparing together and the sounds of their quirks echoed.

_I have to take this seriously. It's not fair for him to be paired with an inattentive partner._Ojiro swept her leg and she almost went down again. Nen berated herself for the mistake.

_Why did you let that happen? _ She chided herself. _You know better, you've literally been trained on this. Why are you being such a ditz? _

Ojiro continued to attack. He noticed odd pulses in her sheild as he struck it, but she didnt say anything. If something was wrong she would speak up. He landed a kick squarely on her sheild and she skidded back a bit, taken off guard.

_Damnit, Nen, if you can't even get something like this right,..._Nen scolded herself and Ojiro spun and lashed out with his tail. Nen brought up her arm holding her sheild to block it._..then you don't belong in Class 1-A. _

When his tail struck the sheild, it shattered like glass and sounded like lightening cracked. Everyone froze, startled and turned to the source. Many of her friends watched, shocked, when for the first time they'd ever seen, her sheild shatterd and dissipated. Ojiro's tail continued through, not expecting the sheild to break, and struck her hard in the face, sending her to the ground. No one moved, no one breathed for a few seconds.

When she didn't move, Ojiro dropped to her side trying to wake her. People began to move. Momo immediately went to her side, moving almost as fast as Aizawa.

"Oh, man I'm sorry." Ojiro apologized, not wanting to hurt his classmates. "I didn't even know her sheild could break." Momo knelt beside her and Jiro stood behind her. A few more classmates stood close by but wanted to give space.

"She's out cold." Aizawa said. "We need to get her to the infirmary. I'll take her, Yaoyorozu, you come with me. Everyone else return to class." He instructed as he scooped Nen up.

"Hey, what happened?" Tohru asked Ojiro. "I thought her sheild doesn't break."

"Yeah, so did I." He admitted as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I feel really bad now."

"I'm sure she knows it was an accident." Mina offered.

"I know we are all startled, but we need to get changed and back to class." Iida instructed. "Nen will be fine as Recovery Girl will be seeing to her." Students began moving to the locker rooms to get changed.

"What do you think happened?" Jiro asked her friends as they got into the locker rooms.

"She told us the strength of her quirk comes from her confidence." Tsuyu reminded them. "Maybe she was doubting herself."

"It can't be that simple, can it?" Ururaka wondered out loud. "I mean she's really good with her quirk. Why would she doubt herself?"

"They're talking about Nen." Mineta whispered to the guys. "Something about her quirk being linked to her confidence."

"They think she's having confidence issues?" Kurishima asked. "Why? She's one of the best fighters int he class when it comes to hand-to-hand combat."

"And besides that, she's part of 1-A. We're the most badass class in our grade." Kaminari added with a goofy grin. "Maybe we're all just overthinking it. People have bad days."

"Even on some of her worst days, Nen's quirk never failed her." Tokiyomi added in with his knowing tone. "Based off of what we know about her quirk, Nen may be facing a lack of confidence in herself, that much is clear. What we don't know is what caused it."

"We haven't even been here a month." Midoriya stated and began to look pensive. "What could have caused such a sudden change so quickly?" He pondered to himself for a moment before returning to changing. The question never left his mind. Off to the side, Bakugo had been listening and Midoriya's question caught his attention.

Nen as he knew her was a bold, stubborn, strong headed, self confident girl. But the girl he had seen lately was almost timid. What the hell was wrong?

"Really?" Aizawa asked as Momo finished talking to him. He had asked about Nen's social life to see if he could identify the source. Present Mic had come to him concerned about her quickly plummeting grades despite excellent homework and class attention. In addition to that she had slowly appeared to be more tired and withdrawn. It was such a large change over a very brief period of time. After what Momo relayed to him, he suspected the cause. "Thank you. You can go back to class now." He told her. Momo hesitated, looking st her unconscious friend before nodding and turning on her heal. Once she was gone, Aizawa turned to look at his student. He wasn't one to meddle, but if she wanted to be a hero, she would have to overcome this.


	6. Turbulence

Nen's head throbbed and her vision was dark and cloudy. She struggled to open her eyes. Everything felt so heavy. She blinked a few times and her vision slowly began to clear. Nen saw someone before her, glowing in an aura similar to hers. the glow almost pulsing in tendrils around the floating form.

The figure was floating closer, cutting through the fog in her mind like a knife. Her mother's face was clear. Every detail smoothed and glossed over, she looked like porcelain. Most terrifying were the eyes. They were replaced by glowing orbs that were almost to bright to look directly into.

Nen knew this, she recognized this image and ice creeped through her. Her heart was beating so loud it reverberated in the room around her, rippling the fog. Her heart beat faster and faster as her mother slowly raised her hand, reaching out to touch her. Nen was frozen in place as the hand grew closer and closer to her face. She tried to pull away but couldn't.

_It's coming for you. _Nen jolted in her sleep and was pulled from her nightmare. She winced as her head throbbed and she slowly blinked her eyes open, squinting from the light. She propped herself up on her arms and the walls began to spin.

"Slow down there." Recovery Girl soothed as she spun her chair to face Nen. "You've got yourself a nasty bump on the head and colorful bruise to boot. I'm surprised you didn't break your nose!" Nen listened and gently prodded along her face, feeling the bruising. It was mostly under her eyes and stretched across her nose. "You've been here less than a month and you've already let someone get you down." She tutted at Nen.

"How do you know?" Nen asked, startled as this was really the first time she had been able to speak with Recovery Girl.

"Due to the family history, your father made sure the principal and I were very familiar with the nature of your quirk." She explained and Nen just looked at her, unsurprised but nervous. "Don't worry, student's privacy is of utmost importance here." Nen's shoulders relaxed a bit and she smiled gratefully. The two sat in silence for a bit before Recovery Girl continued.

"Is there something weighing on you, child?" She asked softly. Nen looked at her for a moment, just sitting there in the quiet room illuminated by a beautiful sunset. Her was in knots and her throat felt like it was closing up.

"No, not really." Nen lied, not wanting to talk about how shitty she'd been feeling. "Must have just been stress from school."

"You and I both know it's something deeper than that." Recovery Girl said with a disapproving face that mimicked her grandmother's. "You don't have to talk to me about it, or even another teacher, but I highly recommend you find someone to talk about it, before it causes permanent damage." Nen sat there and digested the advice. She was right. Of course she was. Nen needed help. She needed to talk to someone about it, about her doubts, about Hideo, about her placement in Class 1- A. After a while she nodded in agreement.

"Alright."

"Aha! Look at that!" Her father said proudly over the video chat. "You've got your real first battle bruises!" He laughed and Nen had to giggle at his silliness. She drew her knees in tighter and rested her chin on them.

"I think the bruises from you and Uncle are real enough." She joked back, referring to the practice, sparring, and general roughhousing through the years.

"Ah but those are from family." He waved them off. "This is something you earned on your own!" Nen giggled again.

"It was an accident and it gave me a small concussion." She told him, trying to downplay, bot really feeling worthy of praise. Her father paused, noticing something slightly off with his daughter. She hadn't been this withdrawn in years and he didn't quite know what to do.

"Do you want me to send you a cake?" He asked after a bit and she giggled once more.

"No, Papa." she told him. "I've just had a long week is all."

"Nen, I can come home anytime you need me to." He assured her. "I know it can be hard living on your own."

"It's not that bad." She told him. "I've had some friends over so I'm not lonely. " There was another pause.

"Any boyfriends yet?"

"Papa!" Nen giggled.

"What? Is it so wrong for me to ask if someone has managed to catch your eye?" He asked, laughing deeply. After another pause he then asked "Any girlfriends then?"

"Oh my goodness, Papa." Nen laughed at him and they shared a minute laughing and Nen reveled in it. After the laughter died down she decided she would tell him. "Do you remember the boy I told you about?"

"The one you've been dating?" He asked. "Why? Is he giving you trouble?"

"Not really." Nen told him and scrunched up her face. "Most of the time he's very sweet but lately he has said some mean and confusing things. But he just says I don't understand because it's a language thing?"

"That doesn't sound right." He agreed with her. "Sounds like you've got a sticky situation on your hands."

"What do I do, Papa?" She asked, hoping for insight.

"Well, if someone loves you and cares for you, they want you to feel good about yourself. Make sure the people you surround yourself with are people who make you feel good." He suggested. "You're a smart girl. I know you'll figure out what is best for you." This made her smile but the knot in her stomach returned.

Nen talked to her father for a long while before he had to return to work, time zones and all. She did her homework while watching tv and just enjoyed a quiet night to herself. Hideo hadn't talked to her for the rest of the day after she caught him lying and she wasn't sure where they stood until her phone chirped with a new text.

_I'm sorry you didn't remember right. Let's have lunch together tomorrow. _Nen scowled and didn't respond, the knot in her stomach growing tighter.

"Your training is going to be a little different today." Aizawa announced after they had settled in after lunch had ended. "You'll have three instructors. Me, All Might, and another instructor will be keeping tabs on you." Everyone shared looks and whispers started running.

"Sir!" Sero raised his hand, grabbing Aizawa's attention. "What kind of training is this?" He asked. Aizawa held up a card with the word written in blue and suddenly, the stress of the previous lunch dissipated and Nen's face lit up in hope.

"Rescue!" Aizawa announced. "You'll be dealing with natural disasters, shipwrecks, stuff like that." Nen was all but bouncing in her seat in excitement.

"Disaster, hu?" Kaminari asked with a grin as the excitement spread through the class. "Sounds like we're in for a big work out." He said to Mina who was beaming with excitement. Everyone in the class exchanged their excitement and Nen turned to her friend Momo.

"I've been looking forward to this since I got accepted!" She told her and Momo giggled.

"Wow, I don't think I've seen you this excited in weeks." She pointed out and Nen just smiled bigger. This is what she was here for, this is what she was passionate about. She sure as hell wasn't going to let Hideo's attitude ruin it.

"Guys, I'm not finished yet." Aizawa called out over the class, pulling everyone's attention. "What you wear in this exercise is up to you. I know you're excited about costumes, but keep in mind you haven't gotten used to them yet and they may hinder your abilities." He hit a remote and those same slots opened up. "This training is at an off campus location so we will be taking a bus to get there. That's all, start getting ready." Everyone hurried off to get changed and and Nen was no different. She pulled on her new costume and looked in the mirror. What was previously just a solid black shirt and pants has changed. The black pants now had flexible, but strong yellow plates strategically adhered, making sure to cover the front of her legs, shielding her shins and thighs. Her solid black top had similar plating over her chest and stomach. It was all in pieces to allow for flexible movement. Something new she had added were fingerless gloves the went past her elbow. This too had yellow plating. The plates were on the back of her hands and on her forearms in chase she needed to block. She smiled at the changes made. Now she felt a little less boring. How could yellow be boring? Seeing as she had a few more minutes, Nen added one last touch and braided her hair in a tight braid that fell past her shoulders. Already, small wisps framed her face and she couldn't help but think of how her mother wore her hair in a similar fashion. She smiled, happy to see she looked so similar to her beautiful mother. She knew her mom would be proud and with that little extra boost of confidence, she all but bounced out of the changing area to meet the rest of her class.

Mina saw her joining the group and waved her over. Nen joined the small circle of girls and Mina immediately pointed out the changes to Nen's costume.

"Wow, I like your new costume!" Mina cooed over Nen's new look. "The yellow looks really good on you!"

"Thanks, it's my favorite color." Nen told her.

"Are the arm guards because of Ojiro?" Mina asked and Nen giggled.

"Yeah, as you can see, the bruises still haven't left." Nen pointed to her face. "I don't intend on letting it happen again." She added with a smile. Nen made a note to thank Hatsume for her quick work. The two had met at the beginning of the semester and hit it off over their love of engineering. All of their conversation was interrupted when Iida blew his whistle.

"Listen up Class A! Using your student numbers form two lines so we can load the bus efficiently. They did as he asked and some of them giggled as they all sat. It was the wrong kind of bus for Iida's seating arrangement. Nen sat next to Todoroki and behind Jiro. She offered a smile to the quiet boy who nodded at her before looking out the window. He wasn't particularly talkative and decided to leave him be. Jiro turned around to talk to Nen.

"Hey, Nen." She spoke. "What happened during lunch? How did that go, you said Hideo wanted to talk?"

_"I have to go. Hideo wanted to talk." Nen said to her friends as she got up, grabbing her trash. _

_"Do you want one of us to go with you?" Momo asked._

_"No, I'll be fine. I'll see you guys after lunch." She assured them and walked away. Though she looked confident and kept her head held high, her stomach was in knots. She was supposed to meet him out in one of the courtyards and that's where she met him. He smiled and moved to hug her but she put her hands up, stopping him. He was going to start respecting her boundaries. Hideo's demeanor immediately changed and he scowled at her. _

_"Look, I don't know what your problem has been lately, but you've been really moody and difficult to be around." He began to lay in on her. _

_"You've said some really hurtful things, Hideo. You've made me feel really insecure. You don't respect my boundaries and you keep pressuring me to do things I don't want to do, and then you get mad at me for it." Nen listed most of her grievances. Hideo was startled she was confronting him about all of it. "You tell me you love me, but you out me down. You criticize my height and my weight. You call me stupid and other mean names. I don't like it." _

_"Well, I wouldn't have to if you weren't so difficult to be with." He bit at her, startling Nen. Her face flushed and she clenched her hands. _

_"I'm not the difficult one!" She shouted at him. "There you go again, saying it's all my fault. I can't control the way I look. Stop trying to change me!" She demanded. Hideo sighed and ran a hand through his hair.  
_

_"Ok, look. Maybe I have been a little tough on you, and I'm sorry for hurting your feelings. I just care about you is all." He told her, calming down. "Nen, I do love you and I want this to work. What can I do to make it up to you?" Nen thought for a minute and took a deep breath._

_"It's ok. I'm sure I've said some mean things or maybe was a little difficult." She heard him snort and ignored it. "Can you just be a little nicer, and listen when I say no?" Hideo rolled his eyes.  
_

_"I still don't know what I've said that's mean but fine. Whatever, I have to get back to class." He told her and moved closer. He leaned in to give her a kiss and she put a hand on his chest to stop him. _

_"Do you promise?" She asked him, staring him dead in his eyes. She wasn't going to let him get her down anymore. She is here to be a hero and he wasn't going to stop her. He met her gaze and for a brief second he looked like he was going to bite her head off, but he exhaled a deep breath. _

_"I promise." He told her and stepped away before leaving for class. It wasn't the conclusion she expected, and she had hoped for a happier ending, but it could have been worse. Were they really going to be ok?_

Nen was telling Jiro what had happened when Bakugo stood up and started yelling at his classmates, catching their attention. Jiro sighed and leaned into her seat, tired of the yelling and Nen scrunched up her face. Why was he always so loud. She kept quiet for a bit until he started telling them they'd regret enrolling in the school. She reached forward and grabbed his collar.

"I've had enough of you." She told him and yanked him back into his seat, hard. Instead of staying seated, he stood up and turned to her.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?" He shouted at her.

"You are too loud and you need to sit down!" She shouted back but wasn't quite as loud.

"Nen, don't waste your breathe." Jiro told her.

"WHAT WAS THAT, EARPHONES?" He shouted at Jiro.

"Why are you always so loud, you angry firework?" Nen shouted at him, and she could have sworn a snort came from the quiet boy sitting next to her who was discretely covering his mouth.

"Something funny?" Bakugo growled.

"Hey, stop messing around." Aizawa called lazily to them, pulling their attention to the front of the bus. "We're here." He told them and everyone quieted but Bakugo sat and slumped, crossing his arms. Once the bus stopped they all filed off and were greeted by Thirteen. Everyone's face lit up in excitement. As Thirteen guided everyone inside, the students looked around in awe. The place was massive and had different disasters all over. Before long they were gathered at the top of the steps and Thirteen began explaining the day. Thirteen started by reminding them their powers can be used to help others, but they can also be used to kill. The image of her mother's glowing face flashed into her mind again and she looked down at her boots. Her mother was an amazing hero who fell tragically. Her family's quirk is genetic, and so is the potential side effect. If she wasn't cautious, she would end up like her mother. She briefly wondered what it would do to her father. She knew it would break his heart. Her attention was pulled back to reality by her classmates clapping. She clapped along, trying to hide the fact she had zoned out again. Aizawa Stood up from leaning against the wall and addressed the class.

"Alright, now that that's over-" He began but was cut off as the electricity in the building crackled around them, damaging the lights on the high ceiling. Everyone looked around, confused as to what was happening. Unbeknownst to them, a portal was forming at the water fountain below them. Aizawa noticed it first and turned to see villains coming through. "Stay together and don't move!" He ordered the students and Nen and a few others gasped when they saw the villains. "Thirteen, protect the students!"

"Wait, has the training started already?" Kirishima asked. "I thought we were rescuing today."

"Stay back!" Aizawa shouted harshly, startling them as he pulled up his goggles. He was going to fight them. "This is real. Those are villains." Nen's stomach dropped.

"How could so many of them get into a facility so secure?" Kaminari asked.

"Yeah, Thirteen, why aren't the alarms going off?" Yaoyarozu asked.

"Good question, I'm not sure." They admitted.

"Is the entire campus under attack?" Todoroki spoke up. "Or is this their only target? If the alarm systems aren't being triggered, then one of these villains must have a quirk that's masking their presence here. They carefully chose this isolated facility as an entry point at the time a class was being taught. They're fools for trespassing here, but they've thought this out. Whatever their plan, they must have a concrete objective in mind. But what is it?"

"Thirteen, get them out of here." Aizawa ordered. "And alert the main campus. Actually, if they've got the ability to block our sensors, then they might be jamming our regular communications, too. Kaminari, try using your quirk to contact the school."

"What are you gonna do?" Deku asked, worried about his teacher. "You can't fight them on your own! There's too many of them, even if your quirk nullifies theirs. Your fighting style's not suited for this. Your power works best in stealth and one-on-one fights. That's not gonna help with a group." Aizawa turned to him.

"You can't be a pro-hero if you only have one trick." He assured his nervous classmates. "I'll leave it to you, Thirteen." He told them and jumped down the steps, moving as fast as light. Nen watched in amazement as he began taking them out one by one. He was so graceful.

"Wow, he's good." Nen mumbled.

"This is no time to be analyzing, we have to go." Iida said urgently. Nen and the rest of the group turned and head for the exit. Nen was able to make it towards the front of the group and they made it about half way there when the warp gate appeared in front of them.

"There is no escape for you." A deep voice called out. "It is a pleasure to meet you, we are the League of Villains. I know it is impolite, but we decided to let ourselves in." He said in a condescending tone as he materialized in front of them. "And besides, isn't this a fitting place for All Might, the symbol of peace, to take his last breath?" Nen's eyes widened. That's their goal? To kill All Might? If that's the case, these were no ordinary criminals. They must have come prepared. "I believe he was supposed to be here today. and yet I see no sign of him. There must have been some change in plans. Ah, well in the end I suppose it doesn't matter. I still have a roll to play." To her horror, Bakugo and Kirishima jumped forward, charging at the villain. Bakugo's explosion went off and smoke and dust blurred everyone's vision. Nen coughed and waved the dust away from her and she heard the villain speak.

"You live up to your school's reputation." He taunted as his tendrils grew and expanded menacingly and Nen could only stare in horror. "But you should be more careful, children. Otherwise, someone might get hurt." Thirteen ordered them to get out of the way and suddenly the blackness covered all of them. "I'll scatter you all across this facility to meet my comrades and your death!" He shouted. Nen gasped as everything went dark. She was still awake and could hear shouting. It was all she could do to brace against the force of the quirk and she tried to will up her shield, but it kept dissipating. It couldn't get the chance to solidify, the force was to great. Nen let out a yelp as she suddenly found herself falling and landed on someone with an oof. Nen rolled off them, disoriented and landed on her hands and knees. She looked and saw she had landed on Kirishima as he sat rubbing his head. He opened is eyes and looked at her as fear flashed across his face.

"Look out!" He shouted and pointed behind her. Nen turned and willed her shield on her arm fast enough to block the lead pipe that almost bashed her head in. Less than a second later, the person above her is hit by Bakugo's exploding fist, tossing the villain far away.

"Get off your asses!" He shouted at them as the two rose to their feet quickly. Nen found herself surrounded by villains. They were in some kind of destroyed building. Nen, Kirishima, and Bakugo stood close to each other, shoulder to shoulder, back to back, each in a defensive stance.

"You guys ready for this fight?" Kirishima asked.

"I was born ready." Bakugo growled, excited to get to beat people up.

"I'm just relived I'm not on my own for this." She admitted. "I got your backs."

"Same here." Kirishima smiled, eager to fight.

"Whatever." Bakugo said as he jumped away, ready to start. "Just stay out of my way!"


	7. Bruises

Another villain fell to the ground after Bakugo's blast. The three were still surrounded and each were steadily putting them down, one by one.

"Say goodbye!" Bakugo shouted as two more villains slammed against the wall and slid to the ground. Kirishima slammed another to the ground and Nen let her shield down, the glow fading away to nothing as the three stood and caught their breath. Nen rested her hands on her knees, and breathed deep. She hadn't used her quirk for this long and this intensity in a while. The skirmishes in class where typically short.

"Tired already?" Kirishima teased and Nen smiled at him.

"Think that's the last of these guys." Bakugo announced, catching his breath as well. "Buncha weaklings." He growled.

"Alright," Nen said as she straightened up. "We should hurry up and find the rest of the class, make sure they're ok."

"Yeah," Kirishima agreed, "If the three of us are still in the USJ, then everyone else should be close, too. And not everyone has offensive quirks like us." He looked at his hands as he spoke. "We gotta make sure everyone's ok, especially since the two of us screwed things up." He looked guilty as he continued. "If thirteen had been able to suck up the villain, we never would have been separated. We have to make it up to the others!"

"No point in focusing on the past, but I agree, we should try to find the others." Nen said and put her hand on his shoulder in solidarity.

"You wanna track everyone down, have fun." Bakugo said gruffly. "But I'm gonna go destroy that warpy bastard." He explained. Nen scowled.

"Huh?" Kirishima asked, surprised.

"That worked so well last time!" Nen told him and crossed her arms. Of all people she had to get stuck with, it _had_ to be him. He was always so annoying and angry.

"Shut up!" He shouted at her. "I'm gonna take him down because he's their way in and out!"

"That's all fine and dandy but your attacks didn't work last time! It's better if we work as a team, and that means getting our classmates!" Nen shouted back, balling her hands into fists at her side.

"I don't need them!" Bakugo shouted. "If I cut off their escape route, they'll be stuck here and have to pay for what they've done!"

"Oh, and you're the only one who can do it, is that it?" Nen shouted, growing red in the face. Kirishima tried to step in but the two kept shouting.

"I have a better chance than you do!" He shouted back, growing more and more irritated.

"Oh yeah? What makes you think that?" Nen shouted, her face completely red with embarrassment and frustration.

"THIS!" He growled loudly as one hand shot out and grabbed her by the front of the shirt and pulled her towards him, slamming her face into his chest. In the same moment, his arm shot past her head and she heard the loud explosion of his quirk behind her, making her flinch into him and inhale, smelling something almost sweet. There was a pause as she heard the villain groan and fall to the floor. They stood there, quiet for a minute before Nen shoved him back and took a few steps back herself and she felt her face redden down her neck.

"Anyway" Bakugo continued as though nothing had happened. "If all these villains are small fries like these guys were, then out classmates can handle them."

"That reaction time was insane!" Kirishima cheered for his friend. "Also, since when are you so calm and rational?" He teased. "You're usually all like…" He trailed off, thinking.

"I'm always rational you red-haired loser!" Bakugo shouted at him, practically exploding himself.

"Yeah, there you are!" Kirishma said with a smile, unphased.

"Go find the others if you want to." Bakugo told them as he started to walk away.

"Wait, hold up." Kirishima stopped him. "I think what you're really saying is that you believe in our classmates! And that's thinkin' like a man, Bakugo!" He said as he slammed his hardened fists against each other. Bakugo kept scowling. "You're with us right, Nen?" Kirishima turned to her, startling her. She looked between the two of them before putting her hands on her hips and sighing, her blush still lingering slightly.

"Someone's got to keep you two out of trouble." She said playfully. "I'll join you."

"Alright!" Kirishima cheered. "Then let's get out of here!" Bakugo turned and started walking and heard the two behind him, talking about each other's quirks. _She smelled like vanilla. _

_BOOM!_

"Get the hell out of my way, Deku!" Bakugo shouted as he grabbed the warp villain's core and slammed him into the ground with a satisfying smash.

"Way to go!" Kirishima shouted as he ran up with Nen. As they neared, they noticed ice speeding across the ground and freezing the monster that held All Might in its grasp. Nen's stomach sank at the sight of it all, dread creeping in like Todoroki's ice.

"One of your poorly trained thugs told me you all were here to kill All Might." Todoroki spoke calmly. All Might began to peel the monster's grip off of him and flip out and over to the students. Nen noticed the blood on his shirt and eyed him, worrying. Something wasn't quite right.

"Guess I found your body this time." Bakugo growled to the warp villain. "Ya smoky bastard."

"The symbol of peace will not be defeated by delinquents like you." Todoroki spoke coldly.

"Kacchan, everyone!" Deku spoke, relief flooding his voice. Nen smiled at him brightly. He rubbed away his tears and put his game face on, making Nen chuckle to herself. Before turning to face the challenge before them, standing between Deku and Bakugo. She looked around at her teacher and classmates and noticed Mr. Aizawa was nowhere to be found and the knot in her stomach grew. This was not going to be an easy fight.

"Kurogiri," The man covered in hands spoke, sending chills down her spine. "How could you let these brats get to you? You've gotten us into a real jam here."

"Heh." Bakugo chuckled. "You got careless, ya dumb villain. It wasn't hard to figure you out!" He told the villain. "Only certain parts of you turn into that smoking warp gate. You used that mist to hide your body as a kind of distraction, thinking that made you safe! That's why we missed."

"You live up to your school's reputation." Kurogiri, the warp villain spoke.

"But if you didn't have a body," Bakugo continued, "You wouldn't be wearing this neck armor, would you? You're not immune to physical attacks if they're well aimed." The villain grunted but Bakugo let out small explosions, threatening the villain. "Don't move!" He shouted. He leaned in close, "Try anything funny and I'll blow your ass up right now! Got it? They'll be cleaning you up for weeks."

"Oh, that doesn't sound very heroic." Kirishima said, almost nervously. It made Nen giggle quietly to herself, easing some of her nerves. For as much trouble the two boys could be, she was relieved to have them by her side though this. They went through this with such ease, she was envious. For the most part, she trailed behind them, stepping in to defend when they were busy.

"They escaped uninjured and captured my two strongest men." The man before them spoke, pulling everyone's focus back to him. "Kids these days really are amazing. They make the League of Villains look like amateurs. Can't have that." He turned to the creature that was frozen in the warp. "Nomu." He spoke. The creature screeched, startling Nen and it pulled itself through the gate and stood upright, breaking off the frozen arm and leg.

"How is that thing still moving?" Deku asked as he shifted. "He's all messed up."

"Stay back everybody!" All Might ordered. The Nomu broke through the ice and Nen's stomach dropped again as it regrew its arm and leg. Her stomach twisted at the sight.

"What is this?" All Might asked, still holding his side. "I thought you said his quirk was shock absorption."

"I didn't say that was his only quirk." The man with hands told them smugly. "He also has super regeneration. Nomu has been modified to take you on, even at 100% of your power. He's basically a highly efficient punching bag that hits back." Everyone stood on guard, tensing and ready for a fight. "First we need to free our escape method." Nen gasped and looked at Bakugo and the war villain. That thing would go right for them first. She moved. "Get him NOMU."

Nen planted her feet firmly infront of the two and raised her hands. In an instant, she forced her will into a shield and the moment it solidified, the NOMU slammed into it with such force, she skid back a few inches and dust flew into the air. The impact send her friend flying back and she dug her feet into the ground, desperate to keep herself from flying. The thing was stronger than she thought it would be and the pressure was almost unbearable. Nen grunted in pain as her wrists and forearms strained and cracked. She let out a small pained cry.

"Nen!" Kirishima and Deku called out, startled that she was holding him off, even if for a moment.

"It's too strong!" She grunted and gasped as the thing pulled back its arm, getting ready to strike again. Nen closed her eyes and braced herself as she saw her shield slowly fading and cracking away. She was exhausted and her wrists burned in the worst pain she had felt in years. She couldn't maintain it. The sheer force behind the creature's hits would break her arms, but she was going to hold what little ground she could.

Nen felt someone grab her by the arm and toss her away as a large gust of wind brushed past her. She crashed into someone and fell as she felt and heard a loud impact. Nen sat up and opened her eyes as the dust cleared. The NOMU was crouched and holding the warp villain. Her jaw dropped and she looked to the side, seeing the creature had slammed All Might through the distant wall

"Get off me." Bakugo grunted and shoved her gently. She looked and realized she was practically sitting on his lap and scrambled off him muttering an apology as her blush deepened. _Nen, this is no time to get distracted. _

"Woah, Bakugo, how did you get both of you out of the way?" Deku asked, excited.

"I didn't you damn nerd!" Bakugo bit back quietly.

"Then how'd you guys get over here?" Kirishima asked. When the dust settled, she could see her teacher. He was still standing and panting, but looked a bit more worn.

"Isn't it obvious?" Todoroki asked.

"My apologies, young Nen." He said to her roughly with a smile. "I was busy admiring your ability to hold that monster at bay. As you can see, his hits are no laughing matter!" He gave her a grim smile and she blushed, secretly proud of herself for buying them at least a few more seconds. "These are kids." He was still panting as he spoke to the villains. "And you didn't hold back?" His tone was furious and Nen found herself more afraid of All Might than the creature before them.

"I didn't have much choice," Shigaraki spoke. "He was threatening my companion. Besides, these kids are no angels. The plain looking one?" He indicated to Deku. "He tried to kill me with that maxed out punch of his. What kind of hero is that?" Nen frowned deeply.

"That's so dumb." She interrupted him from her spot on the ground, startling everyone, including herself and for a moment she wished she never spoke.

"What?" The head villain asked roughly. Nen felt uneasy but spoke up.

"Nen, maybe you shouldn't-" Deku nervously tried to stop her.

"You guys broke in here to kill All Might and us!" She spoke. "You started it!"

"Nen, shut the hell up!" Bakugo grumbled at her through grit teeth. She looked at them confused.

"But his arguments are so stupid!" She whispered to them and Kirishima tried so hard not to laugh at her, covering his mouth.

"You think you can get away with being as violent as you want if you say it's for the sake of others." The lead villain continued and turned back to All Might.

"But he literally attacked us first, what were we supposed to do? Just let it happen?" She asked her classmates in a hoarse whisper.

"Nen, he's a villain, he's probably delusional." Deku told her. "Just let it go."

"Well, you know what, All Might?" The lead villain said. "That really pisses me off. Why do people get to decide that some violent acts are heroic and others are villainous?" Nen grit her teeth and flushed red at how absurd the man was as he rambled on and on. She went to open her mouth only to have someone clamp their hand over her to stop her.

"Would you shut up before you get us killed?" Bakugo hissed in her ear as he held a hand over her mouth and another on her arm. She flushed and shook him off. "Did you hit your head or something? You're being an idiot."

"I'm not the idiot that broke into the highest regarded school of superheroes in order to kill someone and then turn around and play victim!" She hissed at him.

"It doesn't matter why he is here." Todoroki spoke quietly. "What matters is how we are going to get out of this."

"You're nothing but a lunatic." All Might spoke. "Criminals like you always try and justify your actions." Kirishima nudged Nen with a snort as their teacher spoke and helped her stand. "But admit it, you're only doing this because you like it. Isn't that right?"

"We've got them out numbered." Todoroki spoke as they began to step into position. Her wrists were still screaming in pain and she could feel the pain shooting down her arms but that wasn't going to stop her.

"And Kachan found the mist guy's weakness." Deku added in agreement.

"These dudes may act really tough, but we can take 'em down now with All Might's help." Kirishima said as he hardened his arms and hands. "Let's do this."

"Don't attack!" All Might ordered as he stepped in front of them, arm extended. "Get out of here!"

"You would have been in trouble earlier if it weren't for me." Todoroki spoke. "Remember? You need our help."

"I thank you for your assistance, but this is different." All Might insisted. "It's gonna be alright. Just sit back and watch a pro at work!"

"But you're too hurt, you're bleeding." Deku objected quietly. "And you're almost out of –" Deku stopped himself and covered his mouth. Nen eyed him quietly. What was he about to say?

All Might gave them all a thumbs up and faced the villains. Nen looked at her teacher. He was the Pillar of Peace and had faced all kinds of adversity before. All Might was right, this was different, but what exactly was different? She couldn't put her finger on it.

The leader of the villains charged at them.

"Heads up, looks like we're fighting after all." Kirishima warned them. All Might charged ahead to intercept but instead clashed with the NOMU with a loud roar. The impact from their fists was like a heavy storm, bending trees and sending debris flying. The students tried to brace against it. All Might continued to fight with the creature as the students were forced back. Nen used her arms to brace against the force emanating from the hero and the villain's fight and willed out a shield strong enough to deflect some debris and some of the breeze.

"Get behind me." She shouted to her classmates as she expanded her shield ever so slightly to cover her classmates who crouched or stood behind, seeking shelter from the heavy wind.

"He's gonna fight that brain guy head on?" Deku asked, surprised.

"Woah, their so fast!" Kirishima said as another gust of heavy wind hit the shield and whipped around them. Nen winced as the pain worsened.

"Nen, are you alright?" Deku asked over the wind.

"I'll be ok." She told him. The two dueling dug into the ground and sent large chunks of cement flying. Several heavy chunks barreled straight for them and Nen grunted as she swung her arm and batted most of them away. She missed one and it slammed straight into her chest, winding her and sending her backwards, her shield dissipating. Kirishima caught her and lead her into a crouch.

"Are you ok?" He shouted over the wind. Nen wheezed but nodded. The fight continued and All might and Nomu launched into the air, slamming into the ground. This time they were farther away from the students, much to Nen's relief. Smaller debris came their way but it wasn't the large chunks. All Might slammed the NOMU into the ground, shattering it like glass and the students all stared in shock and the sheer power of it all. All Might landed in front of the NOMU and with a mighty cry of "Plus Ultra!" he slammed his fist into the beast with a strength they had yet to see, sending stronger gusts of winds their way and launching the beast through the ceiling, shaking the entire building like an earthquake and into the sky. Nen and her classmates stared in awe.

"That was amazing." Nen wheezed. "He sent the thing flying."

"That was like the finishing move in a video game!" Kirishima said as he stood. "He beat the shock absorption right out of him! I've never seen the kind of brute strength!"

"Imagine having that kind of power." Bakugo said almost breathlessly. "He must have been punching the monster so fast, he couldn't regenerate."

"I really have gotten weaker." All Might grunted, startling them all. "Back in my heyday five hits woulda been enough to knock that guy out." Nen's jaw dropped. _FIVE? _All Might stood and put a fist on his chest. "But today it took more than 300 mighty blows!"

"That's insane." Nen muttered from her spot on the ground.

"What's wrong?" All Might asked as the dust settled. "Not attacking me? Didn't you say you were going to clear this level earlier?" He taunted. Nen looked at her teacher and noticed steam rising off of him. Her eyes widened in shock. It was a warm day so to have steam rising like that, his body heat must be like an oven. "Well come and get me, if you dare."

"Man, this is…intense." Bakugo said quietly to them.

"As I expected," Todoroki said, "There's no reason for us to fight now. He'll handle this."

"I guess he isn't the number one hero for nothing." Nen agreed with them.

"Come on, Midoriya, we should regroup with the others!" Kirishima called to him and walked back over to Nen, extending a hand to help her up. "The last thing we want to do is get taken hostage by these guys." Nen took his hand but the moment he pulled to help her up pain shot through her and she yelped quietly, yanking her hand away and cradling it. "Woah, sorry, you ok?" He asked. Bakugo and Todoroki snapped their heads, hearing their classmate in distress. Everyone was still on edge.

"My wrists got messed up." She grunted. "I didn't realize it was this bad." Nen explained as she shifted and stood on her own with Kirishima keeping a stabilizing hand on her elbow.

"I'm sure the nurse can fix it when we get back." He told her and she nodded. They heard someone moving behind them and turned to see the weaker villains closing in.

"Oh no." Nen hissed. She wasn't sure if she would be much of a help with her arms in so much pain.

"I think All Might can hold his own." Kirishima said to Bakugo as he hardened his hands again. "Let's make sure these guys don't hurt anyone else."

"Will you be joining us?" Todoroki asked Midoriya. Nen began to gather her will, taking inspiration from Kirishima and instead letting it form a barrier over her arms like gloves rather than a flat disk. She heard something flying through the air and turned to see Deku had launched himself towards the villain that charged at All Might.

"Deku!" Nen shouted.

"What the hell was he thinking?" Bakugo growled angrily.

"Woah, Midoriya!" Kirishima shouted. Nen watched in horror as Deku flew straight towards the villain's hand. A shot rang out and the hand was forced away from Midoriya as a bullet ripped through it. The group gasped and turned towards the entrance. Nen's shoulders relaxed and she smiled. The cavalry has arrived with Iida in front. More shots rang out and struck the two villains as they tried to make their escape. Before they could, Thirteen began pulling the two of them in with their black hole quirk. Nen watched with her classmates as the warp gate, Kurogiri struggled to retreat with the leader of the villains. To her dismay, there were able to escape. As quickly as it started, it was over. The two lead villains were gone. Deku lay on the ground and All Might remained where he was, still smoking.

"If all the pro teachers are gathered here it must mean the rest of the school's safe." Todoroki suggested as he and Bakugo looked around. "The villains attacked this specific location." Nen looked around and saw Deku on the ground. She was about to move towards him but Kirishima took off in a sprint.

"Midoriya, hey!" He shouted, running towards his friend. Before he could get too close, a large barrier of cement shot up in front of him, startling everyone. Cementos had stopped him and Nen wondered why. He spoke a few words to Kirishima and her classmate soon ran back over to them.

"What did Cementos say?" Nen asked.

"He told us to head back to the front gate to meet up with everyone." Kirishima explained. "They'll take care of the injured. Looks like Midoriya broke some bones."

"Again?" She asked. "I wonder when that will stop." She chuckled and Kirishima laughed too.

"Nen, are you ok?" Ururaka asked her as they were ushered outside. Nen was still keeping her wrists close and they had already begun to swell. Ururaka was helping her take her gloves off. Nen winced in pain. "What happened?" She asked in shock at the dark purple and angry red swelling on Nen's wrist.

"You know that big guy All Might sent through the roof?" Kirishima interjected, slapping a hand on Nen's shoulder. "Nen stopped him from attacking Bakugo! It was amazing!" He turned to Nen. "After I saw Ojiro's tale break it, I was sure your shield wouldn't hold up. I'm glad it did!"

"Wow, that's incredible!" Mina interjected, having hear what happened. Nen nodded.

"The sheer force from the attack damaged my wrists." She told them. "I didn't realize it was this bad." She said as she looked at her wrists. How was she going to keep up in school?

"Sounds like Bakugo owes you his life." Mina teased as she elbowed the blonde boy, irritating him.

"I would have been fine without her." He shouted. Nen scowled.

"Glad to know I broke my wrists for nothing." She bit at him, irritated.

"Next time, worry about yourself." He bit back, stepping toward her.

"The least you could say was thank you!" She argued, meeting him toe to toe.

"Come on guys, you've been arguing all day." Kirishima tried to step in.

"I didn't ask you to help me!" Bakugo shouted at her.

"No, but their only way out was under your hand!" Nen countered. "I wasn't just protecting you, I was trying to keep them from escaping!"

"I had it under control!" He shouted at her.

"Have they really been fighting all day?" Ururaka asked Kirishima.

"Sounds like love to me." Mina whispered to them and she and Ururaka giggled.

"Let's go ahead and get these students back to school." The lead detective spoke up, interrupting the argument. "They've been through a lot. We don't need to question them right away."

"Detective," Tsuyu hopped forward. "What about Mr. Aizawa?" She asked.

"The bones in his arms are splintered and he's got facial fracturing." The detective told them and Nen's blood ran cold. Had Mr. Aizawa been beaten by that thing? "Fortunately, there doesn't seem to be any serious brain damage, but his orbital floor has been almost completely destroyed. We have no way of knowing if his eyesight will be impaired when he wakes up." Nen's shoulders dropped. She couldn't help but somehow feel guilty for it. Mina stepped forward and asked about Thirteen.

"There's no need to worry there." Many let out a sigh of relief. "Despite some pretty bad lacerations to the back, Thirteen is gonna pull through good as new." Nen and several others smiled at that. "And All Might is also without any serious injuries." The detective continued, sharing more good news. "He's in the nurse's office right now. Recovery Girl's power should be all the treatment he needs."

"What about Deku?" Ururaka asked, worried about her friend.

"How's Midoriya?" Iida asked as well.

"Ah, Recovery Girl is taking care of him too." The detective shared with a smile. "He's going to be fine!"

"Oh thank goodness." Ururaka breathed happily.

"Now, let's get you all back to class." He turned to the police officer standing nearby. "Sansa, I still have some business in the nurse's office. I'll leave them to you!"

"Yes, sir!" Sansa answered and she could hear Mina and Ururaka whisper "A cat?"

"Oh, hey, Nen, you should go with him. Maybe you can have Recovery Girl look at your hands." Kirishima suggested. "Hey, sir?" He called, getting the detective's attention.

"Ah, no, it's ok." Nen protested sheepily, not wanting to make a big deal.

"What is it?" The detective asked curiously.

"Sir, she had her arms damaged." Kirishima explained and lifted her arm gently, to show the damage.

"That looks painful." He said sympathetically. "Why didn't you say anything before?"

"I thought it was just a sprain." Nen explained. "I was just going to take care of it when I got home. After I had my friend help me take off my gloves, I realized it was worse than I thought." The detective chuckled.

"That's the worse sprain I've ever seen." He jested. "I'll take you with me. I'm sure Recovery Girl wouldn't mind."

"I'll see you guys back at school." Nen told her friends before turning to Kirishima and Bakugo. "It was nice working with you guys today. Thanks for all your help." She said before staring pointedly at Bakugo. _How hard was that? _He grit his teeth and was about to say something but she turned on her heel and followed the detective, her braid swishing behind her as she walked. Kirishima laughed and elbowed Bakugo in the side before climbing onto the bus. "She's got spunk! Let's go, we're heading back."

"Yeah, yeah. I heard ya." He grumbled.

The sun was setting and she could hear the birds cawing outside as she walked through the halls and back to class. Nen paused by the window and looked outside. It was a beautiful view and she could see the town nearby beginning to shine its lights.

The face of the creature flashed in her thoughts and sent a chill down her spine. Her breath hitched in fear. That thing was like a nightmare had taken form. She could barely stop it and it was miracle was walked away as unscathed as she did. Nen looked at her hands. Not only had she broken her wrists, she had hairline fractures on both of her arms. Recovery Girl had healed them enough to where they were no longer fractured, but wanted to let Nen's body recover on its own as much as possible so as not to fatigue her further. She had almost overused her quirk today and was already dragging her feet. Her wrists were in splints and would be for the next week or so. Her ribs were also bruised from the piece of cement that winded her. That would also have to heal on its own. Recovery Girl figured it would be easier on her body. It still hurt.

Nen continued on to grab her things and head home. While she was able to change, she left her hair in a braid to keep it out of her face and out of her way. She checked her phone and her stomach knotted. Hideo had blown up her phone with calls and messages. She scrolled through them and watched as he went from concerned about her safety, to angry she wasn't responding, to worried about whether or not she was mad at him, then back to angry but this time for ignoring him. She also saw she missed a call from her dad. As she walked out of the front of the building, she called her father back.

"Hello, Dad?"

"_Nen, I am glad to hear from you." He told her, "I got a call from the school about what happened. I am on my way back tonight."_

"Papa, that's not really necessary." She said weakly.

"_Nonsense," _He brushed her off. "_You were attacked at school. I want to make sure you're alright. Besides, I'm sure you'll sleep easier having me home." _

"Yeah, you're probably right." Nen said as she walked down the steps and saw someone standing off to the side. "When did you say you'd be here?"

"_I am already on my way. I should be there in a few hours." _He told her. "_Why, what's wrong?" _

"Nothing," She lied as she recognized the figure as Hideo. He began to walk towards her. "I have to go. I'll see you later."

"_Nen, what's going on?" _He asked sternly.

"Nothing, Papa. I just need to talk to someone. Travel safe." She told him.

"_I'll be there soon. I love you." _He told her, firmness still in his voice.

"Love you, too." She said and hung up as Hideo stopped right in front of her. "Hi, Hideo." She said weakly as he wrapped her in a hug.

"Nen, I was so worried." He told her before letting her go. "I heard rumors about what happened. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." She told him.

"You don't look fine." He said and gently took her splinted arms in his hands. "I wouldn't call this fine."

"Compared to my classmate, this is nothing." She reassured him with a small smile.

"Then why didn't you call me back?" He asked, letting her hands go and staring right at her. Nen's shoulders slumped. "You even had time to talk to someone else. I've been waiting here all afternoon for you. You could have at least texted me."

"I had to call my dad first." She countered. "Look, it's been a long day. I'm going home."

"I thought you said you were fine." Hideo argued. "Or was that a lie? Are you avoiding me, Nen?"

"Hideo, I just want to go home. It's been a long day." She said and tried to step around him. "I'll talk to you tomorrow." Before she could get very far he grabbed her wrist and yanked her back to face him. She yelped loudly in pain, dropping her bag.

"I want to talk to you!" He shouted at her.

"Let go, you're hurting me!" She cried, tears welling in her eyes. He yanked again and she cried out in pain.

"It doesn't even hurt that bad, stop being a wuss!" He shouted at her and she struggled to get him to let go. "Let me talk to you, damnit! Why do you have to make everything more difficult?" He squeezed her wrist and she dug at his fingers. She heard crackling in the air and began to panic. Hideo was losing control of his quirk again.

"Hideo, calm down." Nen tried to warn him. "Your quirk is acting up." The crackling grew and the hairs on her arms stood up as electricity began to crackle around them. "Hideo, please." She begged and pulled her wrist, trying to break free but he had too tight of a grip.

"What, are you afraid of me now, Nen?" He shouted at her.

"Hey!" A gruff voice shouted and the two turned to look. "What the hell is going on here?" Bakugo asked angrily, his hands in his pockets. Seeing a chance to break free, she ripped her hand painfully out of Hideo's grip and she took off running.

"Damnit!" Hideo yelled and moved to chase after her, but Bakugo grabbed him and threw him to the ground.

"I don't think so!" He shouted at the boy on the ground. "I don't care for pieces of shit like you, but you got another thing coming if you think you can push around a member of Class 1-A. Now scram!"

"Oh, yeah?" Hideo smirked. "Or else what?" Bakugo began sparking up his own quirk and Hideo quickly realized his mistake and scrambled away, leaving Bakugo alone on the walkway. He looked at the yellow bag on the ground.

Nen ran as fast as she could, and even though she was exhausted and her wrist hurt even more than it had before, she didn't stop until she was home. The sun had completely set and she ran down the sidewalk and launched herself up the steps of the apartment complex before getting to her door. She shakily jammed the keys in and burst inside, slamming the door shut behind her. Nen leaned against it and slid down onto the floor, sobbing in pain and terror. She cradled her hands against her chest and brought her knees in close. She sobbed and let out the terror and fear and pain from the day. Nen sat in the dark, hurt not only by the fight, but hurt by Hideo. He knew she was injured and still grabbed her so roughly, and when she begged for him to let go, he gripped harder. Nen was hurt. How could he treat her like that? And then to add salt to the wound, Bakugo found them and watched them argue. How embarrassing. Nen rested her forehead on her knees and continued to cry. She wasn't sure how long she sat there crying, but after a while, her butt went numb and her sobs calmed into the occasional sniffle. She was exhausted and dehydrated, but she was too tired to move. Slowly, she began to shift and move to get off the floor but froze when someone knocked on the door.

_Is it him? Is it Hideo? It can't be. He wouldn't come here? What would happen if her dad found him outside? She needed to shoo him away, but what if he barged inside? _Someone knocked again and she quietly stood and looked out the peephole. To her surprise, she saw Bakugo. Nen furrowed her eyes and unlocked and opened the door.

"Hello?" She asked him, whipping away her tears. "What's up? How did you know where I live?" She asked. At first he didn't say anything but he lifter her bag and showed the small tag hanging on it. It had her name, number, and address in case it got lost. Nen looked at it surprised and looked back into the apartment. She didn't even realize she forgot about it.

"You dropped this back at the school." He told her and handed it to her.

"Oh, thank you." Nen said as she took it and dropped it by the door inside. "You didn't have to bring it here. I would have been fine until tomorrow."

"The teachers are giving us off tomorrow." He told her. "Besides, I only live a few blocks from here, it was no trouble." Bakugo explained roughly. They stood there in an awkward silence for a few minutes before Nen moved to close the door and wish him goodnight but Bakugo spoke up.

"You're in Class 1-A." He told her. "Start acting like it."

"What do you mean?" Nen asked quietly after a brief pause.

"You stopped the guy that sent All Might through the wall." Bakugo reminded her about the encounter earlier today as he looked at her with firm eyes. She felt a blush creeping up her neck. "Don't let nobody's like that push you around." Nen looked at him and nodded, blushing.

"Ok." She told him. "I'll see you in class."

"Later." He said as he walked away.


	8. Lighter Steps

Nen was smiling to herself as she put her things away into her locker. Momo and Jiro appeared at her side, calm and serene as ever.

"Good morning, Nen." Mom greeted her. "How's your wrists?" She asked.

"They feel much better, but I still have to go talk to Recovery Girl." Nen explained. "She might heal them more today, depending on how well they've healed so far. If I'm lucky, I can get the braces off!"

"Yeah, I don't know how you'd be able to write in class with them on." Jiro commented.

"Well, I practiced a little last night." Nen told them. "It was really uncomfortable and a little challenging. I don't know if I'll be able to do it for a full day."

"I'd be happy to lend you my notes if you need them." Momo offered and Nen beamed.

"Thanks, I'll let you know." She told her friend.

"Hey, you seem a lot perkier today." Jiro pointed out. "Did you have a good time on your day off yesterday?" She asked, curios as to what brightened up her friend's mood so quickly. Nen had been seeming more and more depressed. What made her perk up so quickly.

"Oh! My dad came home." She explained, still beaming. "I got to spend the whole day with him but he leaves this morning." Nen admitted, her smile falling ever so slightly.

"Well, at least you got to spend some good time with him!" Momo reassured her and Nen nodded.

"Yeah, we just hung out and watched our favorite movies all day!" She laughed and held up her wrists. "We couldn't really do much more." Her two friends giggled.

"Hey, Nen." Hideo greeted from a distance. The three girls turned to look at him and he looked a bit disheveled, as though he had slept in his uniform. Nen's face immediately turned into a scowl and her friends immediately picked up on the tension. "Can we talk for a minute?" He asked, looking sheepish. Instead of responding, Nen just walked away to go to the nurse's office, leaving her friends confused and leaving Hideo standing there awkwardly.

"We, uh," Jiro told him, grabbing Momo's hand, "We gotta get to homeroom." She said and the two walked away in the direction of the classroom but they saw Hideo head down the hall towards the nurse's office. "Should we follow him to make sure he leaves her alone?" The two stood there, weighing their options.

"She's going to the nurse's office." Momo said. "Surely, she'll be alright on her own. We should get to class before we miss homeroom."

"Nen!" Hideo called down the hall, chasing after her. He caught up to her and grabbed her shoulder. She immediately shook him off and looked at him with a scowl. Bakugo was right, her father was right, she had nothing to be afraid of and she wasn't going to let him push her around anymore.

"Do not touch me!" She told him firmly.

"You were ignoring me." He told her.

"Yes." Nen responded curtly and began to walk away again. He grabbed her again and she shook him off. "If you touch me again, I will break your hand." She told him calmly. He balked and his look of shock melted into anger.

"What the hell's your problem?" He shouted at her.

"I don't want to talk to you." Nen bit at him. "You got angry with me yesterday. My class and I were attacked by villains. We could have died yesterday and you were angry I called my father before I called you!" She scolded him. "You are mean to me and I don't feel like you care about me. I don't want to talk to you."

"Look, you're being unreasonable." He tried to tell her calmly.

"I am not!" She insisted and stomped her foot.

"Stop arguing with me!" He shouted at her. "Just shut up and let me talk to you!"

"No!" Nen shouted at him. "I don't want to listen to you talk. I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to talk to you ever again!"

"Are you seriously breaking up with me?" He asked her, his tone suddenly quiet.

"Yes, Hideo." Nen bit at him. "I am breaking up with you. Now leave me alone." She spun on her heal and began to walk away.

"You'll regret it." He told her coldly and Nen paused. She looked back and saw him glaring at her. "You don't know how much you just screwed up." Nen's stomach knotted but walked away, continuing on to the nurse's office. What did he mean by that?

"Oh, man your wrist is still in a splint?" Mina asked as Nen sat down with her friends for lunch.

"Yeah, I meant to ask you earlier." Momo mentioned. "Why is it just the one wrist? Is something wrong?"

"Oh," Nen mumbled almost sheepishly. "The day before yesterday, Hideo and I kind of had a fight and he grabbed my wrist and damaged it more, so it needs some more time to heal."

"No way!" Mina exclaimed while Ururaka gasped. Momo sat there, eyes wide.

"Want us to kick his ass for you?" Jiro asked, cracking her knuckles.

"Are you ok?" Ururaka asked her gently. Nen smiled at her friends.

"I am alright." She reassured them. "I broke up with him this morning because of it."

"Good riddance." Momo said as she sipped on her drink. "Honestly, I'd report it. UA doesn't need their reputation tarnished by jerks like him."

"Oh, I don't think that's quite necessary." Nen tried to brush it off.

"You might want to consider it, Nen." Ururaka told her gently, worried for her friend. "Guys that get like that don't just stop when you tell them to go away."

"Honestly, if the other day was anything to show," Jiro spoke up, "He has more reason to fear you than you have to fear him."

"Oh that's right." Mina said, putting a finger under her chin. "You totally stopped that big scary guy!" She recounted excitedly. "From what Deku said, it was amazing you were able to stand your ground and protect Bakugo like that!" Nen blushed and looked at the group of passing students who were looking at them funny. The guys had a werid look and the two girls scowled as they passed.

"Hush, Mina." Nen blushed and tried to shush her friend. The group laughed at their friend who was as red as a tomato. "People are staring!"

"You gotta get used to being praised, Nen." Jiro told her light heartedly. Nen could only smile. They sat for a minute in a comfortable silence, just eating their lunch. Ururaka slammed her things onto the table, startling everyone.

"We completely forgot to tell you!" She announced and the rest of Nen's friends gasped, realizing they had forgotten. "The UA sports festival is coming up soon!"

"Oh, yeah Nen was at the nurse's during the announcements this morning." Mina said absentmindedly.

"Oh man," Nen sighed, defeated. "That means my whole family will have to be in town." She said and put her head in her hands.

"Wait, is that a bad thing?" Ururaka asked, confused.

"No," Nen sighed, "But they are a lot to handle. My family is rambunctious and almost everyone is a hero in my family."

"Oh, so there's a lot of pressure to do well?" Momo asked her friend.

"Kida." Nen shrugged. "When it comes to my family, I kinda get stage fright." She admitted. Her friends laughed a bit and Nen giggle with them. "I know it sounds odd."

"Not really," Jiro reassured her. "I think we all are going to want to impress our families." After lunch Nen returned to the classroom with her classmates and socialized until class started. Class began as usual and the afternoon went by quickly. Nen struggled with the notes but Momo reassured her she would make a copy of her notes for Nen.

The day was winding down and Nen and her classmates began packing up to head home. She tossed her bag over her shoulder and walked to the door with the rest of her classmates and saw Ururaka, Midoriya, and Iida looking at the door very flustered.

"What's wrong?" Nen asked as she stepped closer and dropped her jaw when she saw the crowd of students outside the door.

"Uhm, why the heck are you all here?" Ururaka asked shakily.

"Do you students have some sort of business with our class?" Iida asked, regaining his composure.

"I hope not that many people have business with us." Nen told him, still staring at the crowd.

"Why are you blocking our doorway?" Mineta asked, stepping forward. "I won't let you hold us hostage!"

"They're scouting out the competition, idiots." Bakugo said calmly as he came up behind Nen. She stepped out of the way and looked at him. He looked bored. "We're the class that survived a real villain attack." Bakugo walked right up to the crowd. "Well at least now you know what a future pro looks like." He told them. "Now move it, extras!"

"Bakugo!" Nen scolded.

"You can't walk around calling people 'extras' just because you don't know who they are!" Iida chided him while waving his arm. Ururaka and Midoriya stood off to the side, trying not to freak out at the thought of the crowd turning into an angry mob.

"So this is Class 1-A." A new voice spoke up, catching everyone's attention. Nen turned to see a boy with blueish almost purple hair and the heaviest bags under her eyes she had ever seen. "I heard you guys were impressive, but you just sound like an ass. Is everyone in the hero course delusional or is it just you?"

"I'd say it's just him." She pointed at Bakugo. Midoriya was white as a sheet and Ururaka covered her mouth not to snort. Bakugo looked over his shoulder with a death glare and she was surprised he didn't start shouting. She just shrugged at him. _What? Am I wrong? _She thought to herself.

"How sad to come here and find a bunch of ego maniacs." Shinsou continued. Nen frowned at that. She and her classmates worked hard to get into this class. Why shouldn't they be proud of that? "I wanted to be in the hero course, but like many others here, I was forced to choose a different track. Such is life. I didn't cut it the first time around, but now I have a second chance." He paused and everyone hung on his next words. "If any of us do well in the sports festival, the teachers can decide to move us to the hero course." He turned ever so slightly and stared at Nen dead on, startling her. "Meaning they'll have to transfer people out to make room." Nen heard her friends gasp but she just looked at the boy before her. He was fast but she still caught it. He briefly looked her up and down and for a brief moment, she saw something almost regretful on his face. His entire demeanor was laid back and almost depressing, but for a split second, she could have sworn there was a different look in his eye as he looked at her. He turned and addressed the rest of the class. "Scouting the competition?" He asked. "Maybe some of my peers are, but I'm here to let you know, that if you don't bring your very best, I'll steal your spot right from under you." He looked back at Bakugo. "Consider this a declaration of war." The boy told him. Bakugo and the blue haired boy faced off for a brief moment before another voice broke out from the crowd.

"Hey you!" Another boy was pushing through the crowd.

"Hey, Nen," Mina nudged her and spoke quietly. "Do you know that boy? Why was he looking at you like that?" She asked.

"You saw it too?" Nen asked and Mina nodded. "I've never seen him before. I have no idea who he is."

"I wonder what his deal is." Mina mumbled and Nen could only shrug. Mina got a mischievous look in her eyes and smirked at Nen. "Mabye he wants to take Hideo's spot, too." Her friend teased and Nen giggled and shushed her pink friend.

"No, no, these boys only have one track minds." Nen told her while Mina kept snickering. "Besides, I'm starting to feel like doing the same thing."

"Oh, that's no fun!" Mina elbowed Nen gently. "You gotta have some fun now and then!"

"I'd rather take the time to be with my friends, now that I can." Nen beamed at her.

"Hey, where are you going, Bakugo?" Kirishama shouted, grabbing their attention. "It's your fault they're all hating on us!" Bakugo stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"These people don't matter." He said in a calloused tone. "The only thing that's important is that I beat them." And with that he departed, passing past the crowd, ignoring the boy calling himself Testutetsu.

"Hey Mina, I'll text you later." Nen said. "I have to go ask Bakugo something."

"Ok, see ya later!" Mina said cheerily as Nen departed and followed after the angry blonde. She followed him down the hall and caught up to him in the stairwell.

"Bakugo," She said to him. He paused and looked up at her over his shoulder. She fidgeted with the strap on her bag. "Can I talk to you?" He looked at her for a moment and sighed, irritated.

"What do you want?" He asked in a rude tone, continuing to walk away. Nen followed and kept pace with him.

"I wanted to talk to you about the other day…" She trailed off quietly. "With Hideo."

"Yeah? What about it?"

"I uh, I just wanted to say I'm sorry." Nen apologized. This startled him slightly and he stopped walking.

"What the hell are you apologizing for?" He grunted at her.

"Ah, for being annoying. We caused a scene and I thought no one was around." Nen started to ramble a bit as his red eyes stared through her. "And uhm, for leaving my backpack behind. I can be a bit of a scatter brain." She laughed weakly with a smile.

"You did what you had to do." He bit at her. "Why the hell are you apologizing to me?" This caught Nen off guard and all she could do for a moment was stand there, mouth agape. She didn't know how to answer his question. Bakugo sighed, sounding irritated. "Look, just don't worry about it. Consider us even." He told her. The image of the NOMU flashed in her head and she shuffled her feet awkwardly and cleared her throat.

"Ok." She said and he kept walking. She followed him to the locker area and spoke again. "Can I ask you to not tell anyone?" She asked him.

"Tch." He scoffed. "Who the hell am I gonna tell?" Bakugo bit at her, irritation filling his voice. Nen just smiled at him.

"Thanks." Nen offered brightly as he began grabbing things from his locker. He just grunted at her and she stood there awkwardly and began to twirl her hair around her finger nervously. "I, uh, I guess I'll see you around. Have a good night." She told him and stepped over to her own locker. As she walked away, she couldn't help but realize how much lighter she felt.


	9. Glow bug

"Hey, Kirishima." Nen walked over to him and elbowed him gently. "Glad we got paired up." She told him as she began tossing her hair in a braid.

"Yeah!" He said enthusiastically. Kirishima grinned and showed off his pointy teeth. "I've been itching to see just what your quirk can handle." Nen beamed as they walked over to their designated spot. It was that time of the week where they paired off against each other to practice fighting. "Seeing you at the UA against that NOMU makes me wanna see just how tough you are!"

"Really?" She smiled brightly and flipped her braid over her shoulder as they faced each other. "I've been practicing something and I was hoping you'd help me with it!" She stepped into stance, feet shoulder width apart and one foot behind, knees bent and arms infront, guarding her chest. Nen brought her will forward and the glowing yellow formed in disks in front of her arms. She closed her eyes and focused. Kirishima stared, impressed as the disks wrapped around her arms and fists like armor. She opened her eyes and for a moment, Kirishima could have sworn they were all white.

"Impressive!" He encouraged her and took an offensive stance, similar to hers.

"Thanks. It was inspired by you." She told him.

"Hehe, I'm not goin' easy on ya just because you're flattering me." Kirishima told her, gearing up for a fight. "You sure your wrists can take it?"

"They're gonna have to." Nen admitted. "I haven't tried it on my legs yet. But I'm hoping it'll help take some of the pressure."

"Only one way to find out!" Kirishima said as he charged. Nen braced herself and readied for impact. Kirishima struck and she blocked with a forearm and knocked his punch away and striking him in the chest with the other hand hard enough to make him stagger back with and _oof._ Nen stepped back herself and dropped her shield, shaking her hands in pain. "Good hit." He offered and relaxed his quirk. "How's your wrists? Hey, weren't you wearing a brace on that one earlier?"

"Could have been worse." She assured him with a weak smile, dodging the last question. "The shield helped, but I think this wrist is just too damaged."

"Do you want to stop?" He asked, not wanting to break her hands right before the big event. Nen took a minute to inhale. She closed her eyes and focused. Nen brought out her will once more and the shields appeared and wrapped around her arms. This she focused on her legs too. The shields around her arms were stable but the armor on her legs fluctuated.

"No," She responded. "Looks like I'm going to learn on the fly." Kirishima grinned and hardened his quirk again.

"All right, you asked for it!" He lunged again. Kirishiam and Nen exchanged blows and kicks throughout the class session, solidifying her quirk and making adjustments here and there on the fly. Nen was excited to see she could not only keep up with her new friend, but hold her own against him as well. She couldn't help but smile and laugh at small blunders. He was kind enough not to take advantage of them and would chuckle on occasion himself. Nen felt strong, confident. She felt free. The world melted away and Nen hardly noticed any other of her classmates fighting or exercising. Even Bakugo's blasts had faded out of her focus.

Even after class was over, as she was leaving the gymnasium with her friends, she found herself walking lighter, laughing more with her friends. She showered off and got changed back into her school uniform, letting down her hair so it would dry. She and Momo were chatting excitedly with Jiro about music on the way to classroom to gather their things for the day.

"Are you sure you don't want to stop for a snack on the way home?" Jiro asked as they gathered their things, shoving them in their bags.

"I'm ok, thank you!" Nen told them. "I actually have to stop by to see Recovery Girl for my hand. I over did it a bit in practice today."

"Oh, alright." Momo said with a small smile, "We'll see you tomorrow. Do you still need notes?"

"No, no. I am actually going to be catching up on a lot of it tonight, so I should be alright." Nen explained and with her good hand, pulled her bag over her shoulder. She felt something pop in her good wrist and winced in pain.

"Are you alright?" Momo asked her. Nen shook her hand.

"I guess I did more damage than I thought." She said and tried to flex her hand. Nen stepped aside, aiming to leave. "I guess I better get going, then. See you later." Nen excused herself and walked out of the class and down the hall.

Nen brushed past students who were heading home, talking amongst themselves. The halls were a little crowded and she cradled her wrists close to her chest, not wanting to hurt them further. Something caught her eye and she looked as Hideo was hardly a foot from her, his hand reaching out to grab her. Nen's eyes widened as she saw sparks flickering around his hand. Nen jolted back and bumped into someone.

"Woah, careful." Kirishima said with a smile as his hands rested gently on her arms, steadying her. She looked up at her friend and her shoulders relaxed in relief. "Did you need something, buddy?" He asked Hideo who had dropped his hand. The mass of students parted around them but continued to pass by. Hideo said nothing and left, once more blending in with the crowd. "He's a creepy one." Kirishima said quietly. Nen stepped away and looked at the tall red head.

"Thank you." She told him. "Are you heading to the nurse's too?"

"Oh, I'm actually taking Bakugo his bag. Apparently, he had to go right after class." Kirishima explained. "I saw your yellow bag and when I got closer I saw that guy trying to grab you. Everything ok?"

"Uh, yeah." Nen offered, unsure herself. "Just an awkward breakup, I think." She explained and rubbed her wrist, still feeling his tight grip on her. The two began walking together. "So, what happened to Bakugo?" Nen asked, wanting to think of something other than Hideo.

"Oh, he said something about his shoulders were bothering him." Kirishima answered off handedly. "Guess he just wanted to make sure it wasn't anything serious."

"I see." Nen responded. "I hope he feels better."

"Yeah." Kirishima said and rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey, you got pretty good at your shield thing in practice today."

"Oh, thank you." Nen smiled up at him. "I struggle to keep both of them up at the same time, the arms and legs. I have to keep two clear intentions."

"So just do what you need when you need to." Kirishima suggested. Nen looked at him, the gears in her head moving, understanding. Her eyes lit up. "Like when you're kicking, get leg shields or whatever, and then when you throw a punch, just switch."

"That's a really good idea." Nen agreed as they neared the nurse's office. "It'll take practice to be able to visualize and switch so quickly, but it's not a crazy idea!"

"Hey, maybe you'll get the hang of it by the time the games start!" He encouraged as he grabbed the door to the nurse's office and opened it.

"Oh, I don't think I'll-" Nen cut herself short as she stepped into the office, startled by the site before her. Sitting on one of the beds, facing the window, sat Bakugo with his shirt off and arms stretched out like a "T" as Recovery Girl inspected him and tested his shoulders. She could see some of the bruising his shoulders had taken. Nen's face grew warm when she realized she was probably staring too long. Bakugo looked over his shoulder at the two of them in the doorway, letting Nen see his muscles move and he briefly met her eyes. Nen looked away quickly and looked anywhere else but at her classmate. Kirishima picked up on her nervousness but stepped into the office and closed the door behind him as though nothing was wrong.

"Yo, Bakugo!" He greeted and approached. "Grabbed your stuff and your uniform for ya!" He said and tossed it on the bed next to him. Bakugo just grunted at him.

"What on earth are you two doing here?" Recovery Girl asked, exasperation clear in her voice.

"Oh, I'm just here to drop off his stuff!" Kirishima answered brightly.

"And you, Nen?" Recovery Girl asked, turning to the girl who was staring at a poster on the wall, trying to respect Bakugo's privacy.

"I, uh," She stammered. "I-I, uh my wrists are hurting again. I was hoping you could help me." Nen finally stammered out. Recovery Girl sighed and stepped away from Bakugo.

"You should be fine after a day or two of rest now." She instructed him. "Be sure not to do anything other than light stretching and exercise. I suggest you give your quirk a rest until they feel a little better." Bakugo only nodded at her. Recovery Girl walked past the bed and pulled the privacy curtain for him so he could finish changing. "Alright, Nen. What have you gotten into now?"

"Both of my wrists hurt pretty bad." She admitted as Recovery Girl gently took both of her hands. "In this one, I was just putting my back pack on and something must have shifted. I heard a pop."

"Did it hurt?" Recovery Girl asked as she began to gently press along the wrist, making Nen wince.

"Yes, a little."

"Well, let me see the other one." Recovery Girl instructed as she began to unvelcro the brace. Nen hissed as the brace's fabric brushed against her skin.

"Wow, that looks pretty bad." Kirishima commented sympathetically, looking over her shoulder at the bruised and irritated wrist. "Maybe I shouldn't have used my quirk today."

"Nen, were you practicing against Kirishima's quirk?" Recovery Girl chided. Nen shot her friend a look and he put his hands up in apology. Recovery Girl shook her head. "Well, it looks as though you've really broken it. I won't be able to know for sure until tomorrow. We will have to take more x-rays." Recovery Girl tsked at her. "For now, we are going to put you back in the brace, but this time, you are NOT going to use your hand."

"But what about-" Recovery Girl cut her off. Nen flushed in embarrassment of her own carelessness as she noticed the curtain slide back with Bakugo standing there, watching the exchange.

"I am sure one of your classmates can help you with notes and assignments." Recovery Girl told her as she put another, firmer brace on Nen's arm. "And if you come back with any more damage to your other hand, I'll have you in a plaster cast for the next six months." She threatened and Nen just looked at her hand sadly.

"Yes, ma'am." Nen acknowledged.

"Good." Recovery Girl said with a firm nod. "Now the three of you run along home. I am sure you could all use the rest, she said as she ushered the three of them out of the office. As the door closed, Recovery Girl smiled to herself. Nen had certainly improved since her last injury.

"So, you guys wanna stop for boba?" Kirishima suggested as the three began walking down the hall.

"Whatever." Bakugo grunted as he rolled his shoulders.

"Oh, I can't I have to go home and do my homework." Nen apologized. Kirishima just blinked at her.

"You can do homework after boba." Kirishima pointed out. "Besides, you can't really do your homework with your hand like that."

"Oh, uh well I" Nen stammered again, not sure why she felt the need to excuse herself from spending time with her friends. "I already told Momo and Jiro I couldn't get food with them, so I would feel bad if I went with a different pair of friends."

"We're not friends." Bakugo muttered and Nen caught it but was distracted by Kirishima who whipped out his red phone as they headed down the steps, still walking out of the building.

"Well, let's invite them too." He said and pressed call. "Yo! Nen told us you guys were getting food. Bakugo and I managed to convince her. Where are you guys?"

"I didn't say yes!" Nen shouted

"Don't just invite yourself to things!" Bakugo yelled at him at the same time. Kirishima just smiled at his friends as he continued to talk to Momo.

"Yeah, we're leaving now." Kirishima told her with a smile. "See you then!" He said and hung up, looking at his two friends in front of him. "They're just a few blocks from the school, they're gonna wait there for us!" Nen looked at him for a brief moment before laughing, startling Bakugo, even though he didn't show it.

"I guess I could go with you guys." Nen said as they walked.

"Awesome." Kirishima cheered. "And hey, if you wanted, Bakugo could probably help you with homework!"

"Don't volunteer me for shit without asking!" Bakugo shouted at Kirishima and Nen laughed.

"That's ok, I'm sure I can still write with my hand." Nen said as they stepped outside.

"Are you crazy?" Kirishima asked her. "Recovery Girl said not to use your hand at all!"

"Oh, but-" Nen started to argue back but Bakugo actually spoke up.

"If you wanna get stuck in a cast right before the games that's your problem." He said grumpily. Nen mulled over his words and realized he had a point. She sighed as the started walking down the steps. As they reached the last step Nen spotted someone standing off to the side in the courtyard, watching the three of them.

"Hey, Nen." Kirishima asked, wondering why she had stopped walking. "What's wrong?" He asked before following where she was staring at. Nen glanced between Bakugo and Kirishima who had stopped and looked over to Hideo. Nen dug into her pocket with her good hand and pulled out her earbuds phone. She shoved them in her ears and looked for a song to listen to. "Isn't that the guy who tried to grab you earlier?"

"He tried to grab her again?" Bakugo asked, calm and quiet.

"Hu?" Kirishima asked. "Isn't that your ex?"

"I'm just going home." Nen announced and started speed walking away. "Let them know I'm sorry." Nen walked as fast as she could without running as she pressed play. She didn't want to talk to him, she didn't want to be stopped by him. Nen knew she was practically defensive at this point and just wanted to go home, to get away from him. She wanted so badly to just be able to spend time with her classmates but not if it meant Hideo would cause problems. Nen saw out of the corner of her eye that she had passed him. Hideo was glaring daggers at her and she could feel it on the back of her head but she kept walking. Nen just had to keep walking, maybe focus on the music.

_My world is burning down around me._ Her earbuds sang loudly, tuning out the world around her. Nen kept walking and damn near jumped out of her skin when someone placed a hand on her shoulder. She jolted and looked at who grabbed her only to see Kirishima's smiling face. She looked to the left to see Bakugo had taken the other side, the two of the flanking her and putting right between them. Kirishima dropped his hand and she smiled at him, taking out one of her earbuds.

"You didn't really think we were gonna let you walk alone, did you?" Kirishima asked and Nen rubbed the back of her neck.

"We're going to the same place." Bakugo spoke up, making her look at him again. "It's stupid to walk alone." He said as they stepped off school property. Nen absorbed his words and looked at the two boys walking with her. She slipped her arms under theirs, linking them all together, much to Bakugo's displeasure.

"Thank you both." She told them quietly with a smile as they walked. Kirishima chuckled and Bakugo shook her off.

"So what music are you listening too?" Kirishima asked. "It's heavier than I took ya for!"

"What do you mean?" Nen asked, a little confused.

"You're just such a bubbly person, I'd figure you'd be more into pop or something." Kirishima explained. Nen unlocked her phone with her good hand and leaned it towards him, scrolling through, showing him playlists and albums. She had a playlist for just about every mood and it ranged from pop to death metal.

"My dad raised me on metal." Nen explained with an excited smile. "It's probably my favorite to listen to, it's so diverse!" Kirishima laughed.

"I never would have pegged you for a metal head." He laughed and Nen gave him the devil horns around her phone and stuck out her tongue jokingly, making him laugh even harder.

"I just really like rock in general." She admitted, "but sometimes, I really like upbeat happy pop music too."

"You've got a lot of music options." Kirishima noted and she paused her music and took out her earbuds. She tried to roll them up but kept almost dropping her phone.

"Give me that!" Bakugo scolded her and grabbed her phone, wrapping the earbuds around the phone and shoving it back into her hand. "Just ask for help you cripple."

"You should take some of your own advice." Nen pointed out as she put her phone away.

"I don't need anyone's help." Bakugo responded curtly. "I didn't break my damn hand."

"Why are you always so rude?" Nen asked him, getting frustrated.

"Why are you always so annoying?" Bakugo raised his voice.

"Probably because you're always so mean you angry firework!" Nen shouted at him. Bakugo screwed up his face angrily.

"STOP CALLING ME THAT, YOU GLOW BUG!" He shouted at her angrily. Kirishima laughed loudly at the new nickname. Nen turned and shot him with a look. He quickly calmed himself and waved to someone.

"Oh, look, there's the other two!" Kirishima said nervously as he stepped away from Bakugo and Nen and jogged down the last block to Jiro and Momo. The two watched him leave before facing each other again.

"You are. You are angry and you explode like a firework!" Nen explained. "I glow, but I am not a bug!"

"Yeah, we'll you bug me plenty!" He argued. Nen paused for a minute and just blinked at him before snorting and cracking a smile. "What the hell are you laughing at?" He asked her.

"That was clever." She admitted. Bakugo wasn't quite sure how to respond. He wasn't trying to be funny it just slipped out. It was just a witty comeback. Not knowing what else to do, he tched. And turned away from her.

"Whatever." He said and walked towards the rest of their friends. Nen followed, walking with him and greeted the group as they joined them.

"Hey, Nen!" Jiro greeted. "What made you change your mind?" She asked and glanced briefly over at Bakugo and then back to her friend.

"Oh, uh Kirishima kinda spoke for me." Nen explained. "That and Recovery Girl told me not to use my hand. It's probably broken." She added, holding up her braced hand.

"Wow, that sucks." Jiro commented.

"I'll help you with homework tonight if you want." Momo offered. "Why don't we have that study session we've been meaning to have." She suggested, looking and Jiro.

"Oh, yeah! We could call everyone else, too." Jiro turned to the boys. "Why don't you guys join us?"

"I'm just here for food." Bakugo told them grumpily. "I don't need help in class."

"We could use your help, though." Nen pointed out. "I'll buy you food!" Nen bribed him and he just looked at her confused.

"Why the hell are you still buggin' me?" He asked, raising his voice again. Nen giggled at the bug reference again.

"So that's a yes." She stated. She wasn't asking him and he didn't have a chance to correct her. "So, where are we going?" Nen asked the three other people she was with while Bakugo stood off to the side, steaming in frustration.

"Well, first we need to see who is going." Jiro suggested as she started texting people.

"Hey, I'll ask some of the guys, I know Kaminari needs help." Kirishima said as he pulled out his phone.

"Kaminari's a lost cause." Jiro joked.

"I don't know where we can fit all of us." Momo commented. "And we need to keep people's budget in mind." Nen practically flashed for a moment in excitement.

"What if everyone comes over to my place!" She suggested. "We could order pizza!" She suggested.

"Would we be able to fit everyone?" Momo asked. "And is your dad ok with that? I could always host, but I am a little out of the way."

"Well, we manage to fit my family." Nen explained. "And I'm close to a station, so it's easy to get to. My dad is away on business so he doesn't mind!"

"Wow, alright!" Jiro said with a smile. "This'll be cool. I'll send out a mass text to everyone. Kirishima, you do one too. With any luck we can get the whole class."

"This is so exciting!" Nen cheered. Momo was about to agree but someone caught her eye over Nen's shoulder.

"I think Hideo followed you guys." Momo said quietly and Nen looked over her shoulder to see Hideo standing a few feet from them, just watching them. "He's being really creepy."

"Yeah, dude followed us from school." Kirishima explained. "We found him waiting for her outside."

"Nen, are you gonna be ok?" Jiro asked, worried about her friend. Nen stopped looking at Hideo and returned her attention to her friends.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Nen told them and walked forward, taking Momo's hand with her good hand and linking her other arm with Jiro and pulling the two girls with her down the road abruptly.

She was going to spend time with her friends and she would not let him ruin it. The two boys followed behind them.

"Well, Ururaka is coming with Deku and Iida." Jiro said as she checked her phone.

"Oh cool!" Kirishima chimed in. "We've got Kaminari coming! He's bringing Mineta, though."

"Lock your door, Nen." Jiro joked as Nen and Momo giggled, "We don't need him creeping through your room."

And just like that, her spirits rose again. Nen walked down the road with her friends, laughing and giggling on the way to a study group that was going to have lots of pizza.


	10. Valkyrie

"Ooh!" Nen cooed as she jogged through the apartment, almost sliding in her socks on the hardwood floor, her bright yellow hoodie, only partially zipped, hung off one shoulder, her brown hair in a messy bun. "That must be the pizza!" She announced and swung open the door, smiling brightly at the pizza. She takes it and returns to her friends. She had a good crowd. "I have drinks in the fridge! Help yourself!"

"Oh, are you sure?" Deku asked from his seat at the kitchen island as he set his pencil down. At the island sat Deku, Ururaka, and Iida, working on an assignment together.

"She wouldn't offer if she didn't mean it, idiot!" Bakugo shouted from his spot next to the kitchen table, standing with his hands braced on the table, practically seething with frustration and not just from Deku. Kaminari and Kirishima sat across from him, trying to make sense of the assignments.

"If you have enough time to shout, you have enough time to help me with the pizza, firework." Nen stated and shoved half of the pizzas into his arms. Bakugo seethed at the nickname but took the pizza.

"WHICH ONE OF YOU LOSERS ORDERED CHEESE?" Bakugo shouted, not really caring who ate what, but peeved at the name and irked at being roped into all of this.

"Bakugo, stop shouting this instant!" Iida shouted at him, not realizing he too was shouting. "It is rude to shout while a guest in someone else's home!"

"You're shouting now, nerd!" Bakugo shouted back.

"Toru, could you help with these pizzas?" Nen asked, passing the rest over to her classmate.

"Sure thing!" Toru chirped happily, taking the pizzas and returning to the area where she, Jiro, Momo, and Mina sat around the coffee table. Off to the side, on laying on her stomach on the floor, Tsu worked on her homework. Mineta was sat at the coffee table in her line of sight. He had been caught snooping and she offered to make sure he stayed in one place.

Nen walked over to the fridge and with her good hand opened it and started grabbing a few different cans. She tried to use her braced arm to hold them against her chest. After two, they stated slipping through and falling on the ground.

"Oh, let me help!" Ururaka offered and hopped off her stool and walked over, picking up the cans with a smile. Nen smiled at her.

"Thank you!"

"No problem!" Ururaka grinned brightly at her friend. "What happened to your arm, anyway?"

"Oh, I hit Kirishima too hard during practice." She admitted as she handed her friend more drinks. "I don't think Recovery Girl likes seeing me too much in the nurse's office."

"Oh, I don't think she likes seeing anyone in the nurse's office!" Ururaka offered as the two straightened up. "Oh, wait, that sounded bad." Nen giggled at her and handed out cans of soda to the two boys at the island.

"It's alright, I understand." Nen assured her. "Recovery Girl just wants everyone safe, right?" Ururaka nodded like a grinning bobble head, making Nen laugh harder. She grabbed a few cans from Ururaka and dropped them off at the table with the three boys. Kirishima and Kaminari thanked her but Bakugo just grunted. She didn't say anything to him and just rejoined her friends in the living room.

"Alright, where were we?" Nen asked as she grabbed a piece of pizza. Momo was helping Nen write her answers down since she had already mostly finished her own work. Everyone was working on their own assignments and munching away at the pizza. Every now and then Bakugo would be shouting at Kaminari and Kirishima. Nen could hear Ururaka giggling at Deku and Iida. Mineta was whining every now and then about being baby sat but Tsuyu always had a handle on him. Even though her wrist still had a dull ache, she was relieved to have everyone over. Hideo had followed her off campus and she was worried this was going to be a regular thing.

"Oh, Nen, where is your bathroom?" Midoriya asked. Nen looked over her shoulder and indicated down the hall.

"It's right that way. It's the door on the left!"

"Right, thanks!" He said and left the room. Deku did as he was told and walked down the hall until he hit the bathroom He did his business in peace and left the bathroom. He was making his way back down the hall when something caught his eye. He was surprised he didn't see it on his way to the bathroom. It was a photo of Nen and her parents. There were a few photos on the wall, actually, but he stopped and smiled at the picture. It was Nen, a few years younger, in a bright yellow sundress, laughing. She had her arms linked with her parents' arms. Her dad was smiling at her and her mother smiled, have relaxed but tired, at the camera. Deku blinked, recognizing her mother's face but not sure how. Nen looked a lot like her mother, but her mother's hair was bright blonde. Then he looked at her father and then the pieces clicked into place.

"YOUR DAD IS BENJIRO KATAYAMA?" Deku shouted, startling almost everyone. "YOUR DAD IS THE HEAD ENGINEER OF KATAYAMA INDUSTRIES?"

"Katayama Industries?" Kaminari asked. "I've heard of them. They do a lot of work for hero agencies, right? I hear they're one of the best."

"Woah, Nen, your dad works for Katayama Industries?" Kirishima asked.

"Not just that!" Deku interrupted, joining them in the room once more. "It's his family's business! They've been in business for years but he really grew it into what it is today! He took it international!"

"Yeah! That's how he met my mom!" Nen smiled at Deku. Two more pieces fell into place. He realized where he had seen Nen's mom before and while he had a brief "aha!" moment, it was replaced by sadness and compassion.

"I think my family has done some business with the Katayama company lately." Iida mentioned off handedly.

"Wow, why do you stay in such a small place?" Mina asked. "You guys should be mad rich right?"

"Oh, well, my dad travels a lot, and I don't need a lot of space, so an apartment is just fine by me." Nen explained. "And we have a family home in Tokyo, near the main offices."

"What about your mom?" Ururaka asked, confused. "Does she go with him?" Nen was waiting for this question but dreaded it all the same. Nen shook her head.

"My mom died a few years ago." Nen told them. The room got uncomfortably quiet.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Ururaka apologized. "What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Not at all!" Nen smiled at her. "My mom was a hero, actually. She died in the line of work. Her hero name was _Valkyrie._"

"Oh hey! I remember seeing that in the news." Toru said.

"Yeah, something about her quirk backfiring or something I think." Jiro added.

"From what the news said, it sounded almost like she ran out of her quirk." Deku explained. "It was like a battery, and the more she used it, the more it degraded."

"Close, but not quite." Nen said with a smile. "My mom's family has a quirk that allows us to manifest our wills, our life energy, into physical forms. Each person has a unique style and color. Mine's yellow for example. My mother had pink. For her, it was easier to manifest her quirk into something like an extension of her own body, like wings."

"Is that where she got her name from?" Tsuyu asked and Nen nodded.

"For me, it's easier to use it like a force field." Nen explained. "I'm learning how to use it like armor!"

"But wait," Mineta piped up from his corner. "How does that relate to how your mom died? Do you guys have a limited amount of power to use?"

"Not quite." Nen giggled. "We have to be sure of ourselves. Our quirk depends on things like our confidence, our surety in ourselves, our willpower." She thought over her words carefully. "How do I explain it, the quirk itself is volatile and we have to trust ourselves to keep it under control. My mom was unwell for a long time, so it became harder and harder to remain in control."

"What, so like if you get the flu, are you going to explode or something?" Kaminari asked. Nen snorted.

"Not that kind of sick." Nen explained. "I don't know all of it, but I remember how my mom was. When I was little, she was so happy and so bright!" Nen's smile fell. "I don't know what happened, but one day she came home, it was like someone turned the light off inside of her. She hardly smiled, she was tired all of the time. I heard her and my dad arguing more."

"Something must have happened when she was doing hero work." Momo suggested.

"I asked my dad about it, but he won't tell me." Nen said, still curious about it herself. "One day, during a fight with a villain, she lost control and the explosion burned down half a town."

"That's not gonna happen to you is it?" Mina asked, worried about the thought of losing her friend. Nen smiled a big smile and gave her a thumbs up with her good hand.

"No way!" Nen reassured her. "I'm never going to let that happen to me!" A few of the girls giggled. "Now, let's focus on something less depressing!"

"That excludes homework then!" Kirishima said as he leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head, "because man, my grades are making me lose the will to live." Nen laughed out loud with her friends, agreeing. Conversations returned to normal for almost everyone. Nen's tongue tingled, knowing she had just lied to her friends. There are many ways her quirk could kill her. Losing control was more common than most of her classmates knew.

Bakugo, from his spot at the table, watched Nen for a minute as she continued to work on her homework with her friend's help. He remembered seeing it on the news. The family members who even had any variation of the quirk had to be evaluated to determine how much of a threat they posed, as in were they likely to also lose control.

"Wait a minute." Toru spoke up, getting Nen's attention. "Your mom's family. She has a brother who does here work too!" Nen could practically hear Deku's head exploding from behind her and she giggled.

"Yeah, my uncle."

"YOUR UNCLE IS THE NORSE HERO: WOTAN?"


End file.
